The World Exists For Just Us Two
by thinklove
Summary: "Love is so...difficult," Naruto often tells himself. Especially since the one he loves is Uchiha Sasuke. "I must not know what love is," Sasuke often tells himself. Especially when coming to terms with his feelings for Uzumaki Naruto. SasuNaru. AU.
1. Prologue

Title: The World Exists For Just Us Two  
Summary: "Love is so...difficult," Naruto often tells himself. Especially since the one he loves is Uchiha Sasuke. "I must not know what love is," Sasuke often tells himself. Especially when coming to terms with his feelings for Uzumaki Naruto. SasuNaru. AU.  
Disclaimer: Naruto & Co. © Masashi Kishimoto  
Warnings: Rated M for future chapters.

* * *

**Prologue.**

The day was clear and crisp without a cloud in the sky. Flowers were bursting from every tree and garden as a parent and child pair trotted along on a fine spring day. A head of blond hair could be seen over the hedges of the Uchiha estate. Unseen, was another mop of golden hair, belonging to a boy clinging to his father's hand. The two were nearly carbon copies of each other, save for the fact that the 3 year old boy had a set of whisker birthmarks on each side of his cheeks.

"Where are we going?" the little one asked, eyes sparkling with curiosity. He walked with a bounce as he carefully avoided every crack on the pavement.

The father looked down at his son, smiling gently before leading the boy up the Uchiha driveway, "To a friend's house, Naruto."

The boy pondered for a moment. He scratched his head of messy blond hair before asking, "My friend?" He questioned.

"My friends," the father replied while patting the boy's head. "They were your mother's friends too," Minato added the last part in afterthought, wanting to slap himself in regret.

"Hm.." The child quickly silenced and let go of his father's hand. _Mom's friends. _Naruto idly plucked a leaf off the hedge before twirling it between his fingers. His head hung a bit lower, avoiding Minato's gaze.

_Nice going, Minato. _The older man mentally scolded himself before bending down on one knee to look at his son. "Th-they have a son just about your age too, Naruto! You probably don't remember, but you two met when you were younger. I'm sure you two will become great friends!" He grinned enthusiastically, hoping that the boy would quickly forget the sudden topic of his mother.

"Really?" The boy instantly cheered up, his eyes alight with joy, "Let's go! Let's go!" Naruto dragged his father up to the door, stumbling over a step.

Minato let out a deep chuckle, "Careful now," he lifted boy up into his arms before ringing the doorbell.

A stern looking man greeted the two with a small smile, followed by his gentle wife. "Minato, my good man! It's been ages! Come in, come in!" The dark haired man ushered.

"Thank you, Fugaku," Minato replied graciously.

"Ohh, Naruto! You've grown so much!" The light skinned wife exclaimed while pinching the whisker-marred cheeks. Naruto pouted and turned his head, hiding his face in the crook of his father's neck.

Minato chuckled softly while Fugaku gave a hearty laugh. "Mikoto, would you mind calling down Itachi and Sasuke? I'm sure the boys would like a reunion as much as we would," It wasn't so much a question as it was an order. The dark haired man led the parent and child couple to the living room while Mikoto rushed up the stairs.

Wide blue eyes took in the surroundings around him. "This place is huge!" Naruto exclaimed in an excited whisper into his father's ear. He wriggled his tiny legs and pushed his hands against his father in order to be put down. As soon as his velcro sandals clad feet touched the hardwood floors, he was off in an instant, circling around the living room, crawling under the coffee table, and slamming against the spotless windows. He eventually settled down onto a plush red couch next to his father after being sent an admonishing look from his father's eyes.

A few minutes later, Mikoto returned with a tray of earl gray-filled tea cups. "It's so good to see you two again," she said in a gentle voice as she set the tray onto the coffee table. "Naruto, how old are you now?" She inquired while bringing a porcelain cup to her lips.

"Th-three." Naruto answered shyly. His feet swung alternately as they dangled over the edge of the couch.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, "I see. It's already been three years," She stared into the teacup, as if she could see a movie of the past playing in the reflection of the liquid.

Minato let out a soft "ahem" before sipping his own tea. He could already see where this conversation was heading. He just hoped that Fugaku and Mikoto were merciful enough to wait until Naruto left the room.

"W-Well, where are those sons of mine?" Fugaku intercepted nervously, placing his teacup on the table. "Naruto, you were always quite fond of them when you first met," the man added with a nod.

As if by cue, two dark-haired, onyx-eyed young boys entered the living room. "Hello, father, mother," the older of the two greeted. He eyed the two guests before smiling softly at Naruto. The younger of the two, slightly taller than Naruto, remained silent. His eyes lingered, or rather, refused to move from the sight of the blond child on the couch. Naruto as well, stared at the youngest Uchiha, unblinking, until the image of the boy was burned into his brain.

_He's mine._ Both Naruto and Sasuke thought simultaneously. It was on this day that the never-ending obsession the two had for each other began.


	2. Chasing the Night

Title: The World Exists For Just Us Two  
Summary: "Love is so...difficult," Naruto often tells himself. Especially since the one he loves is Uchiha Sasuke. "I must not know what love is," Sasuke often tells himself. Especially when coming to terms with his feelings for Uzumaki Naruto. SasuNaru. AU.  
Disclaimer: Naruto & Co. © Masashi Kishimoto  
Warnings: Rated M for future chapters.

Yoru wo Kakeru - spitz

* * *

**Chapter 1 – Chasing the Night.**

Six Years Later

Wide blue eyes stared into deep onyx. Silence hung in the air, breaths stifled. Naruto's face turned a shade of pink as the whites of his eyes blurred red. Tears hung at the edges of his waterline. Sasuke's face remained as impassive as ever, eyes never leaving the oceans hidden in Naruto's orbs.

"…"

"…"

"…Mmf."

"…"

"…Ngh…BLINK ALREADY SASUKE!" Naruto yelled impatiently, his eyes straining at the dryness of the air. The black, white, and blue color scheme of Sasuke's room was starting to blur into blobs in his peripheral vision. He could hardly make out Sasuke's figure, but his eyes never left the fiery dark ones.

The young Uchiha smirked with satisfaction, closing his eyes slowly as he replied, "Hn. I win. You broke the silence rule first." He shifted his body back onto the bed before flopping his backside into the downy comforter, legs dangling off the edge.

Naruto pouted, rubbing his teary eyes with the palms of his hands, "Since when did that become a rule…" he grumbled mostly to himself. He knew very well that nothing good came out of arguing with the Uchiha, not that it ever stopped him anyway.

The dark-haired boy simply dismissed his remark with a wave of his hand, "Doesn't matter. Anyway, since you lost you have to tell me…"

"Okay, okay, I got it," Naruto looked around Sasuke's room, as if the walls and furniture could listen. Jolting up quickly from the floor, he rushed over to Sasuke's door, checking the hallway for weasel-like eavesdroppers, before shutting and locking it quietly. This earned an eye-roll from the expecting boy lying on the bed. Climbing onto the bed, Naruto leaned close to Sasuke's ear, a hand covering the side of his mouth, "The person I like is…" his voice lowered to a barely audible whisper, "…Sa…Sasldkjf," As quick as the mumbled slur came out of his mouth, he was just as quick in fleeing out of the room before the wrath of Sasuke could reach him, cackling all the way down the hall.

Sasuke continued lying on the bed, giving the dobe a good head start, "One…two…three…four…FIVE! DOBE, YOU ARE SO DEAD YOU CHEATING IDIOT!" He flung himself off his bed and sprinted down the hallway, eyes searching for a head of blond. _Why does this house have to be so big?_ Sasuke complained as his eyes scanned over every inch of each room. Finding no luck down one side of the house, he turned and sprinted down the other half. His sprint slowed to a run as he turned a corner, slipping from the lack of friction between his socks and the hardwood floors. Grasping onto the corner of the wall, he halted to a stop when his eyes landed on a mop of golden hair. The blond stood quietly in front of the door of the study room with his back turned away from Sasuke, seeming to be staring into space. "Naruto, you are dead!" He seethed in a harsh whisper.

With a jolt, Naruto spun around, a mixture of panic, surprise, and relief on his face. It didn't last long enough for Sasuke to question as his expression turned into a sheepish grin. "I couldn't find anymore places to hide," a nervous chuckle erupted as he began to lead Sasuke back to his room. "Oh, and don't call me dobe."

"Dobe, why are you–," His question was left unfinished as piercing **CRASH** interrupted. The two boys turned, immediately running to the study room where the source of the interruption came from. As the approached closer to the door, they heard deep voices in the midst of what seemed to be a very heated argument.

"…I told you I wouldn't stand for anymore…"

"…It could not be helped. If you are so…"

"…Do not question me, Itachi…"

Upon arriving at the room, Naruto pushed the door open, Sasuke peeking from behind. The array of the room left them speechless. Sasuke shoved past Naruto and scanned the room critically, although his panic did not show on his face. Books were scattered across the floor with papers floating in the air after them. On the floor were a thousand shards of his mother's favorite vase. His onyx eyes lingered there before lifting, taking in the expressions of the two adult figures in the room. Fugaku's face, which was three shades redder about ten seconds ago, paled considerably as his youngest son eyed him. His gaze shifted to the opposite side of the room. Itachi's expression was impassive, like a true Uchiha, but the regret in his eyes did not go unnoticed by Sasuke. Without a word, the young boy stepped towards the middle of the room, bending down near the broken vase. His hand reached for a shard of precious porcelain.

"Sasuke, don't touch that," his father warned irritably.

Sasuke ignored him, gathering the pieces in his little hands, one hand picking up the shards, the other hand holding them.

"Sasuke…" his brother sighed his name, almost like a plead. Almost.

The little dark-haired boy felt his nose tingle, the warning sign that his onyx eyes wanted to brim with tears. He reached for another shard.

"You're bleeding, Sasuke," A gentle honey colored hand held onto his shaking pale one. "Put those down before you hurt yourself. Or more importantly, me," Naruto gave a shining grin as he helped Sasuke up from the ground. "Let's get your mom to clean those cuts first and then I'll tell you my secret from earlier."

Sasuke simply nodded, dropping all the pieces back to the floor, and then following Naruto out the door. Not once did he turn to look back.

* * *

"My goodness, Sasuke! What on earth were you two boys doing that got you into this mess?" Mikoto asked as she dabbed her son's cuts with a hydrogen peroxide drenched cotton ball. Sasuke didn't answer so she simply smiled knowingly. "Well alright then," with finality she placed the last band-aid on his little finger, "How about you walk Naruto home now? I'm sure Minato's got a bowl of ramen waiting for him at home. And then you'll come home to me and I'll give you a nice bowl of tomato soup, okay?"

Naruto's face brightened at the mention of ramen, and then blanched at the sound of tomato soup. _Is Sasuke even human?_

_

* * *

_

From Sasuke's house to Naruto's house, it was a thirty minute walk. From Naruto's house to Sasuke's house, it was a forty-five minute walk. The neighborhood where the Uchiha estate was rested at the top of a hill, overlooking a part of Konoha. Naruto's neighborhood was at the bottom of the hill. The difference between these two neighborhoods was just one letter. _Pleasant_ _Valley_ and _Peasant_ _Valley_.

The walk home was relatively normal, with Naruto talking endlessly and Sasuke "Hn"-ing every so often. Neither of them wanted to bring up the topic of earlier events, so Naruto just…talked. He talked about nothing, and he talked about everything.

"So you know how I've been coming to your house since I was like, three?" Naruto asked without really expecting an answer.

"Hn." He didn't really get one.

Naruto listened closely to the chirping cicadas as they walked in the summer heat of July, "Well when I was old enough to walk to your house by myself, I always found myself counting the steps it took to reach you," He paused idly, "When I got bored of that, I'd try going backwards. It was tough at first, and a lot of cars honked at me, but I always managed to get to your house in one piece," He rubbed the back of his head and chuckled, pausing again to think, "And then after that, I'd close my eyes and walk to your house," He began closing his own eyes, trusting the path beneath his feet to take him home.

_Since when does this dobe think so much?_ Sasuke thought as he squinted at the splash of colors in the sky left by the setting sun. He "Hn"-ed again when he noticed the dobe was thinking for too long.

Naruto slowly opened his eyes. Using a hand to cover the sun, he peeked through the cracks of his fingers until his eyes adjusted to the sudden flood of orange light. "Up until now, I've used a different method of reaching you everyday. I've lost count of how many steps it takes since the numbers have been decreasing."

The raven turned to the blond and raised an eyebrow in question.

"My legs are longer than they use to be so I can take bigger steps now. I've been growing," Naruto turned to the Uchiha and flashed him a breathtaking smile

Sasuke could feel his breath hitch in his throat. _Apollo._ "Hn," was the only response he could muster.

"…Have I reached you yet?" Naruto murmured in a barely audible voice, more to himself than to Sasuke.

The rest of the walk home was taken in a comfortable silence.

* * *

Minato could hear the front door creak open as his son arrived, shouting a "See you tomorrow!" to Sasuke. The father gave a sigh. Walking to the front hallway, he greeted his son, "Hey, kiddo. Have fun?"

"Hm? Yeah," was the only response given. Naruto kicked off his shoes, and after peeling off his socks, he stuffed them inside.

Minato was taken aback at his son's lack of enthusiasm. Usually, he would bombard the man with exclamations of their adventures. "R-really," He said cautiously as a half-question and half-response. "It certainly doesn't sound like it," the father stated concernedly.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head in thought, "Sasuke…I think he's just having a bit of family issues or something."

The father nodded slowly. "Is that so. Uchiha is a heavy name to bear, Naruto," he placed a hand on his son's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze, "They'll be okay. _He'll_ be okay," he added with affirmation. "Well, I ordered Ichiraku for dinner today. Your favorite: 'a large serving of miso ramen with roasted pork fillet!'" He mimicked Naruto's usual cheer of ardor.

At the sound of his favorite dish, the blond boy froze. _Something's…off._ As he walked to the dining room and sat himself down, he asked, "There's something wrong, isn't there?"

"…" The young boy's father was baffled both by the idea that there something _must _be wrong in order for him to pamper his son, as well as the fact that his son was incredibly sharp at reading the small matters. "Just a bit of change, that's all."

Nevertheless, Naruto shrugged, slurped, and sloshed his delicious ramen, downing the bowl in a matter of minutes. Or perhaps even seconds.

"There's more on the counter if you're still hungry," Minato said with a smile.

The boy eyed his father suspiciously, "It must be _really_ bad then," he muttered ominously as he went to retrieve his second helping. On the way back to the table, he simply stated to his father, "Just tell me, dad," before digging into his bowl.

Minato took a deep breath, "Okay, son, but promise me you won't be too upset?"

"Dad, that really depends on what you're about to tell me."

_God, this boy is smart. Or rather, cunning. He is his mother's son indeed._ Minato stared at his son, his eyes pleading for him to just promise, even if it was just a lie. His conscience needed the comfort.

Naruto eyed his father before caving in, "Alright, alright I promise. Now what is it?" He dropped his chopsticks and spoon into the bowl, giving his father his full and undivided attention.

"We're moving tomorrow." The older man stated blandly, as if he was reading a title off a newspaper.

A sigh came out of Naruto's mouth. He picked up his utensils and began eating again. "Really, dad? That's it? You got me worked up over nothing." He mumbled out in between bites.

"You're not upset? Not at all? I mean, what about Sasuke?"

"What about him? I guess I'll just have to walk farther or take a bus to see him. Or he can come see me. I'm sure Itachi could take him or something."

That's when it dawned on him. Minato blinked slowly before telling his son softly, "No, son. Kiddo, we're _moving_. To you're mother's hometown, Uzushiogakure. Tomorrow."

The sound of utensils dropping into a plastic bowl echoed in the room as Naruto slowly raised his head to look as his father. He said nothing. He asked nothing.

* * *

A shrill ring filled the air several times as the landline of the Uchiha estate rang. Again. For the umpteenth time. In ten minutes. Frustrated, Itachi glanced at the caller ID, picked up the receiver and barked, "Hello, don't answer," He covered the end of the receiver with a hand before shouting "Sasuke, it's for you!"

Sasuke irritably dragged himself out of bed, trudged to the phone, and barked very much like his older brother, "Speak."

The raven heard a hushed "Meet me _there_," from an all too familiar voice before the click and dead tone marked the end of the conversation.

Sighing, Sasuke replaced the receiver and trudged back to his room to get dressed. "_There_" was where they went when things were, to say the least, like tragedies of Elizabethan proportions.

After hanging up, Naruto listened with hushed breathing to the sound of his father whose room was located across from his. When he could hear the rhythmic breaths and snores, he carefully tiptoed his way across the hall to the front door and slipped on his shoes before sneaking out the door.

When Minato heard the quiet slam of the front door he sat up in his bed, running a hand through his gold locks. He let out deep sigh. _Who sleeps at 9, kiddo?_

_

* * *

_

Outside the front door, the blond child let out a puff of air. His head reclined backward as he gazed at the night sky. The moon was nearly full. He began his trek towards the meeting place, always starting at a slow pace. Like always, he jumped over the twisted wire fence that blocked a secret path. And like always, something _had_ to get snagged and he ended up in a heap on the dirt floor. And this is where it begins. After standing up and dusting off the dirt, Naruto took off in a yellow flash, feet pounding on the path. Fireflies lit his way as he maneuvered through the woodsy trail. He ran and ran and ran. Until his tears fell into the wind and his lungs begged for more air. Even then, he didn't stop. He never did. When he could see the clock tower through the forage, he smiled. And when his steps felt the dirt path turn into hard pavement, he slowed to a run, then to a jog, then to a walk. Grinning like an idiot. He always did this on an exceptionally bad day. Because he knew that at the end of the path, _he _would be waiting by the clock tower, smirk in place, and Naruto would grin like a fool, tears all forgotten.

Between _Pleasant Valley_ and _Peasant Valley_, there was a neutral place. A forgotten place. Surrounded in the lush green foliage that split the two neighborhoods was the empty town square. It was neither on the hill, nor off the hill. It was exactly 15 minutes away from either house. It was simple, and not so much a square as it was a circle. There was a broken clock tower in the center, always stopped at seven forty-two. The forest encircling the place always silences every sound that attempts to escape from the square. The fireflies guarding the place always leads right to the clock tower. It was a place where time stood still.

Naruto slowly made his way towards the clock tower, tracing his fingers against the graffiti stains on the bricks. His breath came in heavy puffs as he collapsed in exhaustion next to Sasuke. He too was panting from his run, and like always, had his smirk in place. He didn't have to say it, as both of them already knew, but he did anyway, "I..win..dobe."

The blond haired boy smiled softly, rolling over onto his back and savoring the coolness of the pavement. He lazily lifted his rose-colored hand above his head, using his index finger and thumb to encircle the almost full moon. He could see a spark of lightning, flashing in the west. Bringing his hand down next to him, he slowly turned his head over to Sasuke.

Deep ocean blue eyes lock with fiery black ones. Just like the way they did six years ago, maybe even before then. A rueful smile appeared on Naruto's face, and surprisingly, Sasuke's as well.

_Ah, just like this. I wish time would stop for us just like this._


	3. A July Serenade

Title: The World Exists For Just Us Two

Summary: "Love is so...difficult," Naruto often tells himself. Especially since the one he loves is Uchiha Sasuke. "I must not know what love is," Sasuke often tells himself. Especially when coming to terms with his feelings for Uzumaki Naruto. SasuNaru. AU.

Disclaimer: Naruto & Co. © Masashi Kishimoto

Warnings: Rated M for future chapters.

Hachigatsu no Serenade – suga shikao

* * *

**Chapter 2 – A July Serenade.**

_I'm moving. _"I…" Naruto began, breaking the silence, "…like Sakura." He stated blandly as he broke eye contact with the raven, turning to look at the clear night sky. _ I can't tell him. I don't want to tell him._

The onyx eyed boy simply nodded, feeling somewhat disappointed and perhaps even jealous. Sakura was Naruto's next door neighbor as well as occasional playmate during the days when the two boys were feeling exceptionally bored. He didn't like the pink-haired girl, but he didn't particularly hate her either.

"But I know…she likes you, Sasuke," the blond continued, a tinge of sadness in his voice. Closing his eyes, he recalled the times Sakura chased after Sasuke as they raced towards an ice cream truck. He would always be at the end, trailing after the both of them with the words "Wait for me," escaping from his mouth in wheezing breaths. It was always like that. _Dead last._ And as frustrating as it occasionally was, the boy could never feel any contempt towards his best friend. "Sasu…you're my best friend, you know that right?"

"Dobe, I'm not going to steal her or anything. You can like her to your heart's content," There was a slight icy tone in his voice as he turned on his side with his back facing Naruto. Sasuke could never quite understand things about liking or loving people. However, there's always one person that he held close to his heart more than anyone else. _Dobe._

Naruto stared at the raven's back, melancholy hidden beneath oceans of blue. "Mm…yeah, I know."

A comfortable silence filled the air.

"Hey, Sasu?" Naruto called in an inquiring voice.

"Hn." He remained motionless, watching a small caterpillar wriggle across a crack in the pavement.

"What if…What if I were to disappear?"

"What do you mean?"

"…Like for example, just for example, if I became a cat or a caterpillar and just…disappeared?"

Sasuke pondered at the ridiculous question, eyes still on the squirming insect, "I'd cry like crazy. And then joke about it eventually, I guess." After answering, Sasuke concluded that conversations with the blond were never boring, so today he'll talk a little more and a little longer than usual. Just for him. _I'll be nice and behave just for you._

"If I were to disappear, you have to make a lot of friends, okay? Be nice to Sakura, and try to get along with others so you won't be lonely."

The raven scoffed, but for some reason he felt a bubble of guilt emerge inside of him. He turned on his back and stole a glance at Naruto's face. The blond's expression surprisingly looked…mature, and frightening beautiful. It was as if he understood the whole galaxy and how it worked. _If we weren't friends, I'd throw your advice away without a second thought._ "Hn." Sasuke nodded before turning back on his side, eyes shut in contemplation.

Satisfied, Naruto let his eyes linger on the starry skies once more. The two boys lay on the cold pavement of the empty town square. Time stood still. Another comfortable silence filled the air.

"Hey, Sasu?"

"Hn." _He's as talkative as always, even on a bad day._

"Let's become sworn blood brothers." The blond stated in all seriousness.

Sasuke sat up slowly. Turning his gaze towards Naruto, his face held an incredulous look to match the incredulous statement. "So you want us to be like Temujin and Jamukha? Or like Odin and Loki?" He scoffed.

The blond sat up, his eyes never leaving Sasuke. "Who?" he raised an eyebrow, making his features look even more boyish.

"The Mongols and the Norse myth– forget it," The raven let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "Why are you bringing this up anyway?"

The blond slowly lowered his back on the cold cement, his arms cushioning his head, "Well, I was thinking about how back in first grade, when we weren't friends yet, you ended up in the infirmary because of me."

The raven mimicked the boy next to him, his head slowly falling back onto his arms. His onyx eyes landed on the bright moon. The shine of the stars diminished greatly in comparison to the light of the moon. "Hn."

"Do you remember?"

"I remember."

* * *

Across the playground of Konoha Primary School, a childish chorus of "Happy birthday dear NARUTO~" could be heard. Surrounded by a multitude of friends was the young Naruto, who had just turned the six.

With a blush, the blond sputtered a slew of "thank yous" as he shyly rubbed the back of his head. After the crowd of children dispersed to return to the swings, slides, and sand box, a stoic redhead approached the blue eyed blond. The boy had a solemn expression, gloom hanging in his teal eyes. "Hi, Gaara." The blond greeted happily.

"Today is your birthday?" Coming from the redhead, it was a statement rather than a question.

Naruto smiled brightly, "Yeah!"

Gaara's expression remained impassive, "Will you have a party?"

"Yep! Me and my dad are gonna have lots of fun today!" The blond flailed his arms around to emphasize "lots".

"…What about your mom?" The teal eyes blinked slowly.

At this question, Naruto's arms dropped to his sides. His expression became considerably darker, annoyance filling his voice, "I don't have one. I never did."

Gaara nodded slowly, "So you're a 'parasite' too." He folded his arms across his chest and continued nodding at the fact, as if he was simply discussing the day's weather.

The blond's head tilted to the side "A what?"

"A 'parasite', it's like a monster. That's what my uncle calls me. I never had a mom either. He said I killed her because I'm a 'parasite'. Since you never had one, I guess we're the same. Did you kill your mom too?" The expression on the redhead's face never changed as the horrid words came out.

Naruto felt chills along his spine. Gaara's emotionless look made him want to vomit. "Wha- what are you talking about? Of course I didn't!"

Gaara stared at the blond before him. Unfolding his arms, he continued heartlessly, "Well if you've never had a mom, that means she died on your birthday. You killed her when you came out of her tummy. Uncle always says this. He's never wrong. How come you have parties on your birthday? Shouldn't your dad be really mad at you? After all, you killed his–"

"STOP IT!" Tears were streaming down puffy whisker-marred cheeks, "I didn't do it! I didn't do it!" Naruto began wailing at the top of his lungs, repeating the same phrase over and over. He wasn't trying to convince others, but rather himself.

The redhead nodded, satisfied at the boy's reaction. "I used to cry too, but not anymore because I know now. You're not supposed to be happy on your birthday. You should–"

Before Gaara could finish, a flash of onyx appeared before his eyes as he felt his breath knocked out. "Don't bully Naruto! Don't make him cry!" Sasuke shouted as he landed smacks and kicks on the redhead.

Naruto stared in awe, tears forgotten, as the two boys were rolling on the concrete in a full out brawl. Fingers entangled into red locks and tugged harshly. Before the teachers could pull them apart, Gaara landed a punch directly in Sasuke's face. Blood fell from Sasuke's nose in droplets onto his clean blue shirt. "Sasuke, you're bleeding!" Naruto sobbed in fear.

After being escorted to the infirmary, Sasuke lay unmoving on the rock hard bed, a piece of tissue shoved in one of his nostrils. His eyes remained shut in feigned sleep, hoping to postpone his lecture.

Next to the bed, Naruto sniffed quietly, his small tan hand clutching onto Sasuke's pale one. "S'uke. Don't die! I'll be nice to you! I'll give you my ramen! So don't die!" It was melodramatic, but he didn't know any better.

Sasuke's eyes slowly opened. Half-irritated and half-satisfied, he responded with exasperation, "Am I dying? Did they say I was going to die? Or do you just wish I were?"

Teary cerulean eyes widened, "S'uke!" he sobbed harder as he threw his arms around the raven's neck. Surprised, Sasuke lifted an arm and patted the whimpering blond on the back lovingly. A small smile graced his features.

After the incident, Naruto remained wary of Gaara, but looked at him with eyes of pity as well as understanding. The two had a silent truce of sympathy. Sasuke on the other hand, loathed the redhead with a passion of a thousand burning suns. Nevertheless, Naruto never really celebrated a "happy" birthday again. He plastered a fake smile on his face and prayed for the day of his birth to end faster.

As for the relationship between the blond and the raven, they became inseparable.

* * *

"You know, I never thanked you after that," Naruto stated contemplatively as his eyes scanned for shooting stars.

"Hn. So you want to thank me by mixing our blood together to become sworn brothers?" The raven questioned.

"Well, I don't know what else I can give you. So I guess I'll give you…me?"

Onyx eyes turned to observe Naruto's profile. He stared at the three scars on the tanned cheek. _I want to touch them._ "Okay then. Let's do it."

Naruto shot up from his comfortable position. "Really? Like, seriously? For sure, okay? That means that you'll always have to be there for me when I call you, and I'll do the same! Okay?" Oceans searched Sasuke's face desperately. It was dark, so the raven couldn't see the tears threatening to escape the blond's eyes.

"Okay, I promise," Sasuke rose from the hard pavement, "So how do you want to do this?"

"Well first, we need blood," The blond glanced around his surroundings for a sharp object. His eyes landed on Sasuke's bandaged hands, "Take off the band-aid on your thumb."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, but complied. He pressed on a cut until blood began to bubble to the surface, "Okay, now what?"

Naruto bit into his own thumb, wincing at the pain. His canines pierced the skin and a metallic liquid graced his tongue. Licking his lips, he held out a pinky to Sasuke, who in turn entwined his own pinky around. The blond pressed his thumb against Sasuke's, officially "locking" the promise, "You're mine, and I'm yours."

The raven nodded, swinging the pinky promise up and down like a handshake. The two boys untangled their fingers and licked the blood off their thumbs. Naruto gave a wide grin as he stood up and stretched his arms above his head.

Tilting his head back, he glanced at the broken clock tower. He froze as an idea came to mind. His wide grin turned mischievous as he pressed his hands against the bricks. Clutching carefully to the uneven surface, he began to slowly climb upwards.

"Dobe, what are you doing? You're going to fall and bust your head open. I'm not saving you if that happens," The raven scolded.

A chuckle erupted while a foot landed on a spot to lift him higher, "You'll see!" He continued upwards until tan fingers reached the minute hand on the face of the clock. Carefully, he rotated the hand, making time move forward.

Standing up, the raven backed away from the tower to get a better view, "Get down. Your dad's going to have a heart attack if something happens to you."

Another laugh. "What about you, Sasuke? Would you be sad if something happens?" The blond continued to wind the minute hand until it reached exactly midnight. Or noon. Whichever.

Sasuke let out an annoyed sigh, "…Yes, dobe. I would. Satisfied? Now get down from there."

The blond gave a satisfied smile before slowly descending. A foot searched for support, but unfortunately, failed. Letting out a yelp, Naruto flinched as he slipped, anticipating the painful fall to the concrete.

"Naruto!" The raven spread his arms, running towards the falling blond. He felt his breath knocked out from him as Naruto landed on him with an "oof". "Dobe! What is wrong with you today?" He pushed the blond off of him and brushed the nonexistent dirt from his clothes.

"Heheh, thanks, Sasuke," Naruto chuckled shyly, rubbing the back of his head. "But look what time it is!"

"Dobe, if you were planning on fixing the clock, it's not midnight, it's ten fift–"

"It's midnight!" The blond huffed.

The raven glared at the blond, "It's ten fift–"

"Midnight." Naruto stated forcefully. "It's. Midnight. Right?"

With a sigh, Sasuke ran a hand through his black locks, "Fine, dobe. It's midnight." He resigned.

With a grin, the blond stood up from the ground and wrapped two arms around the raven, "Happy birthday." _I'm sorry I can't say this tomorrow. _He began singing in a quiet voice, serenading the raven with a loving happy birthday song.

Sasuke hitched a surprised breath as Naruto embraced him. Listening happily to Naruto's serenade, a small smile graced his features. He lifted a hand and patted the blond's back lovingly. "Thank you, Naruto." He said genuinely as he looked up at the broken clock tower.

Reluctantly, Naruto's lips ever so slightly brushed against Sasuke's cheek as he pulled away. With his trademark grin in place, the blond ruffled Sasuke's hair, "We should probably get going now."

The raven growled at the gesure, but let the blond do as he pleased, "Hn." Sasuke felt a tickle on his cheek and he resisted from touching it.

"I'll see you soon," Naruto turned as he waved a hand in the air.

Sasuke nodded and began making his way towards the opposite direction.

When he reached the trees and fireflies on his end, Naruto looked back, his eyes landing on Sasuke's retreating figure. _I'm sorry I couldn't tell you…But I really don't want to say goodbye._

_

* * *

_

In the comfort of his bed, Naruto buried his face in his pillow, recalling the image of Sasuke over and over, so as to not forget his face.

In the comfort of his bed, Sasuke brushed his cheek lightly with a finger over and over, so as to not forget the feel of Naruto's lips.

_In the moonlight, the usual things can look so…beautiful._

_

* * *

_**I'm not quite sure how I feel about this chapter...  
To be honest, I'm a bit disappointed.  
Hopefully, the chapters to come will be better.  
Thank you for reading up to this point.  
-thinklove **


	4. Alien

Title: The World Exists For Just Us Two

Summary: "Love is so...difficult," Naruto often tells himself. Especially since the one he loves is Uchiha Sasuke. "I must not know what love is," Sasuke often tells himself. Especially when coming to terms with his feelings for Uzumaki Naruto. SasuNaru. AU.

Disclaimer: Naruto & Co. © Masashi Kishimoto

Warnings: Rated M

Alien – arco

* * *

**Chapter 3 – Alien.**

Seven years later.

A shrill buzz filled the air in Naruto's room. The annoying sound played at the same constant interval to remind him to wake up. It was the same kind of annoying as the dripping of a faucet or the kid tapping his pencil in the middle of a test. It was _damn_ annoying. He groaned internally, slamming a tan hand over the snooze button despite the strong urge to just throw it across the room. Retreating his hand back into the warmth, he pulled his orange and black down-filled comforter over his head, relishing in the warmth. Knowing he couldn't fall back asleep, he slowly sat up from his bed, the comforter still covering his boxer-clad lower half. Naruto lowered his head slightly, his messy golden locks shielding his eyes from blinding sunlight peeking through the orange curtains. He inhaled slowly, his stomach expanding, and then exhaled through his mouth. This was his usual morning ritual. Meditation of some sort. But today, this morning, he _really_ needed this moment of peace. The blond repeated his deep breathing for a few more minutes, willing the images of last night's dream to disappear. He didn't remember the specific details of the dream, but he knew it was the dream about _that _night. _The_ night. The same night he's been reliving for the past seven years.

Naruto glanced over his image once more as he ran his eyes over the body-length mirror. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt with thin orange stripes aligning horizontally across the fabric. His bottom half dressed with jeans – plain, denim, dark wash – and a pair of white converses. He sighed satisfactorily as he ran a hand through his blond locks. It was the first day of junior year. At least for him it was; he was a late transfer student. The rest of the students at Konoha High School had started two months earlier. Although he had lived in Konoha for the past five years, he opted for homeschooling, or rather, it was _strongly_ recommended by his father. At first, it sounded easy, but he soon realized that homeschooling was even more rigorous and fast-paced than public school. Although he wasn't able to enjoy a school life with his friends, he was still able to get together with them for gatherings to keep in touch. There was only one person he was unluckily, or maybe even luckily, not able to keep in touch with over the years. Perhaps it was intentional, perhaps not.

* * *

Standing outside a classroom door, a blond whisker-marred boy stood motionless as he ran a hand down his face, rubbing the last bit of sleepiness away. He glanced down at his schedule once more, _AP Chemistry, first hour, Hatake Kakashi._ Naruto nodded and inhaled sharply, determination evident in his ocean blue eyes as he placed a nervous hand on the door handle and entered the classroom full of high school teenage kids. "Hey, Kakashi! It's been a while," The blond lifted a hand in a small wave at the silver-haired teacher. Although they were just acquaintances, Naruto knew him through his father. Apparently Naruto's dad used to be the chemistry teacher's mentor and stopped by their house occasionally for lunch, even tutoring Naruto on occasion. Talk about a small world.

Kakashi smiled, or least seemed to smile under his mask, "Naruto, you're late. On your first day too. That doesn't leave a very good impression now does it?" The blond grinned and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as the students in the classroom rolled their eyes in irony. They looked on in curiosity as the new student seemed to have a completely normal conversation with their completely abnormal teacher. With his wild silver locks, odd colored eyes, and ever-present mask, Hatake Kakashi was the epitome of a mad scientist to them.

"Well, you're were always late to tutoring sessions yourself. Anyway, I'm in your class apparently, so…" Naruto drawled as he handed his schedule to his acquaintance-friend-teacher.

The black and red eyes scanned the sheet of paper before nodding and handing it back. He glanced down at his seating chart, "Okay, well since I don't intend on remembering names or faces, the seating is in alphabetical order. You're behind…" He paused, running his finger over the S's, T's, and then U's, "Uchiha Sasuke. Last seat, farthest row, closest to the the window. Lucky you."

Naruto's knees nearly buckled at the sound of _his _name. He couldn't have possibly heard that name…right? _Oh no. God, no. I'm not ready. I wasn't planning on seeing him this soon! Fuck it's been like what, six- seven years? What should I do? What do I say? What if he doesn't remem-_

"Uzumaki," Kakashi snapped his fingers in front of the boy's tanned face, "You're not lost already, right? We haven't even started today's lesson," he stated sarcastically as he lazily pointed to the direction of the seat and turned back to pick up a stick of chalk, scribbling indecipherable chemical formulas on the board.

The blond shook out of his reverie and began trekking slowly toward his seat, not quite sure if he should look at Sasuke. _Not yet. Maybe later. Just keep walking, looking somewhere else, anywhere. Shit those are his shoes._ Blue eyes continued up farther, despite his reluctant mind. _His legs. His arms. His lips._ His body tensed as his sunny sky blue eyes locked with midnight black ones in an electrifying moment. _His eyes. _Forcing his body to obey his mind, he sat down, trembling, as if the moment didn't affect him as much as it truly did.

* * *

Sasuke sat austerely, a pale hand cupping his chin as he stared blankly out the window. He had hardly noticed the new transfer student as the boy walked in. He couldn't care less. Instead, he stared at the golden scenery framed by the window, leaves falling in yellows, oranges, reds, and golds. It reminded him of a certain someone.

"Uchiha Sasuke. Last seat, farthest row, closest to the window. Lucky you."

At the sound of his name, Sasuke gave an unnoticeable jump as he slowly shifted his eyes towards the front of the room. Eyes that promised hell to whoever decided to interrupt his daydreaming.

That is of course, until his eyes landed upon the epitome of the sun. Of fall. Of all things bright and godly. His mouth separated slightly, partly in awe and partly to mouth the name of the student to himself. He felt his tongue press against the rear of hist top teeth, right up against the gum line, three times for every syllable of the golden boy's name. _Naruto._

Sasuke trailed his onyx eyes up the blond's body, noticing that Naruto was trying to avoid looking at him. Irritated, he furrowed his brows in slight frustration, his eyes attempting to burn a hole through the blond's head until he would look at him. _Look at me, dobe!_

And just as he demanded, eyes that carried the weight of the sky peered straight into his dark orbs. Time stopped for a moment, just like how it used to back in their childhood days. In the short, yet electrifying moment, his breath hitched and his heart stopped. _God he's…beautiful._ It was like he could stare at those blue eyes for a lifetime. It was like taking a breath of air after drowning for seven years. And he wanted more dammit.

When the blond sat at the desk behind him, he could feel those depthless ocean eyes bearing a hole in the back of his head. _After seven years of hell, I'm not going to forgive you._

Just as he picked up a pencil to begin taking notes, the school bell rang, marking the end of first period. Pale hands gathered supplies, silently, meaningfully, as if each movement of his body was not his own but rather a puppeteer's. He placed his usual façade of austere boredom on his face as he carefully rose from his seat, flinging his backpack over a shoulder.

"Hey, Sasuke! It's been a while hasn't it?" The blond placed a tan hand on Sasuke's shoulder, "You still remember me though, right?"

Sasuke froze at the feel of Naruto's warmth. Turning his head slowly, his onyx eyes narrowed into slits, a mix of hatred, regret, and desperation buried within them. He shrugged off the honey colored hand. Without a word, he left the blond standing, his hand still hanging in midair. _ As if I could forget, dumbass._

_

* * *

_

By lunchtime, Naruto had reunited with all of his childhood friends, minus one. "I'm sure he just doesn't recognize me. After all, I've gotten handsome haven't I, Sakura?" He grinned at his pink haired childhood friend.

"Sure, sure, Naruto," She waved a hand dismissively, smiling at the pout that appeared on her best friend's face.

A rough arm encircled around Naruto's neck, putting him in a headlock, "Or, maybe he just hasn't pulled out the stick up his ass!" A boy with brown spiky hair and red tribal marks on his cheeks exclaimed as he wrestled with the struggling blond.

"Damn it, Kiba! I'm trying to eat here!" Naruto flung the arm away from his neck as he coughed and pounded his chest a few times, willing his peanut butter sandwich to go down the correct tube. "And it's nice to see you too," he rolled his eyes sarcastically before taking gulps of water.

Kiba grinned, his canines gleaming. "Hey, Shika, you have AP Physics with him, right? Is he as annoying as he looks?"

A lazy head lifted from the lunch table. Blinking, he let out a mumbled 'troublesome' before burying his head back in his arms. No one knew whether it was the question that was 'troublesome' or Sasuke.

The rest of the meal proceeded without another mention of the raven. Laughter filled their every conversation and everything was perfect. With Sakura and Ino gossiping, a shy and blushing Hinata, a sleeping Shikamaru, a stoic Gaara, a rambunctious Kiba, a youthful Lee, and in the center of it all, a glowing Naruto. Everything was perfect. _Right?_

_

* * *

_

Halfway through lunch, Naruto escaped from his crowd of friends to 'finish up some enrollment processes'. In actuality, he went to go find refuge on the roof of the school. He loved his friends, of course, and he was as hyperactive as always, but the current situation with his childhood friend was gnawing away at his mind. For the moment, the only thing he desired was peace. A few minutes of silent, contemplative, and perhaps even emotive brooding, peace. He ascended the stairs slowly, a black leather-bound book in one hand and a ball point pen tucked behind his ear. The old door to the roof bore a worn down 'access forbidden' sign, moaning in tired agony as the blond pushed it open. A flood of light blinded his ocean eyes, which were accustomed to the dim artificial lighting of the school. He brought a tan hand up to his face, shading his sensitive eyes from the natural light. The blond could feel a headache creeping to his temples from the invasion of the sun. Blinking owlishly, he stepped onto the roof, moving his hand through his golden locks as he felt a rush of wind tickle his cheeks. He glanced quickly down at his watch. _Twenty minutes until class starts._ Nodding to himself, the blond sat himself down against the fence that shielded the edge of the roof from suicidal teens. Tan fingers brushed against yellowed pages of his leather-bound book. Finding a blank page, Naruto tapped the tip of his pen against the paper, dots marring a corner of the page. He scribbled a few lines down before bringing the end of the pen up to his mouth, chewing on it. The blond repeated his actions multiple times until he was able to fill a three and a half pages with his writing, mumbling to himself every now and then. In the midst of murmuring a sentence, a deep velvet voice interrupted his thoughts.

"What are you doing, dobe?"

Naruto gave a jump, causing his pen to leave a long mark across his page, "Fuck! What the shit, Sasuke!" He looked up at the raven as he appeared from his hiding spot on the other side of the roof, "Don't scare me like that!"

Onyx eyes narrowed in mirth as a smirk graced his features, "The only thing scary is you with your ritualistic mumbling. I'm trying to sleep." The raven walked towards the sitting blond, glancing over the edge of the leather-bound book.

The blond slapped his book shut, clutching it closely to his chest. He was tempted to scream 'Well I'm trying to write!' back at the smirking raven, but he had other things that he wanted to settle first. "I thought you didn't remember me, teme."

"I don't," he stated blandly, his eyes showing contempt and superiority.

"Like hell you don't, bastard. You just called me 'dobe' and I doubt you'd ever call anyone else that."

The blond had a point. A pale hand waved dismissively as he turned around and walked away. "Just don't come to the roof to write your diary entries. This is _my_ place."

"Hey! They're not diary entries! And don't just walk away like that!" The blond ran up to the raven, pulling on his shoulder and turning him around.

Sasuke retaliated by grabbing the blond's collar. Again, onyx eyes flared with anger and Naruto could've sworn they turned red for a moment. The blond grabbed at pale wrists, struggling for air. "Don't. Touch. Me." The raven emphasized each word by tightening his grip and then violently shoving the blond away.

At his release, Naruto clutched his throat and coughed for air. "What…the hell…is…your problem…teme?" He panted between labored breaths.

Sasuke glared at the blond with hatred. He recalled seeing Naruto surrounded by his group of friends in the cafeteria, laughing jovially. The thought of it made him furious. It made him, who spent his lunchtime on the rooftop, alone, for the past seven years, feel like an alien. His voice came out cold and heartless, "You."

Wincing at the harsh tone, a hurt expression appeared on Naruto's face, "I don't remember doing anything to make you this angry, Sasuke. And in case you don't remember, you're the one who's been acting like an asshole all day toda–"

Before the blond could finish his sentence, he felt his body being slammed against the wire fence, a pale body pressing painfully against him. "And in case _you_ don't remember, _you're _the one who left that day. _You're _the one that made every hour of every day miserable after you disappeared without a word. It was _you_ that made me like this. After _that_ day–" Sasuke stopped midsentence when he saw the expression on Naruto's face. The look filled with hurt, pain, regret, and sorrow. He backed away from the blond, dark bangs covering his eyes. "Just…forget it. I can't even bear to look at you."

The words stung like a slap. At first, the blond's expression was that of a lost and frightened animal, but it changed to a small smile. A sad pretty smile. "Okay, Sasuke," His voice trembled, "Sorry." Dejected, Naruto disappeared back into the school building, the old door creaking in pain.

The raven took slow, shallow breaths as he sunk down to his knees. In the back of his mind, he could hear the school bell ringing, marking the end of lunch. Clutching his chest with one hand, he tried to control his breathing. The wound was still there and so was the pain, even though it was invisible to the naked eye. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest, begging to burst open. Panic attacks. This was the beautiful disease that he suffered from, the disease that made him feel like he wasn't part of the human race. And it was all _his_ fault. Sasuke lifted his face up into the sky, his eyes clenching shut as the wind cooled his face down. Between shallow breaths, he wondered to himself if he'd feel like this for the rest of his miserable life. He wondered if he'd go to his grave still wondering why he felt like an alien. And all because a stupid blond boy decided to leave him.

_Naruto, you were the sun in the sky._

_

* * *

_

**Sorry it's been so long since my last chapter.  
****And sorry if this isn't too good.  
****School has been…tiring, to say the least.  
****Thank you for being patient with me.  
****I love you all very much.  
****-thinklove**


	5. If

Title: The World Exists For Just Us Two

Summary: "Love is so...difficult," Naruto often tells himself. Especially since the one he loves is Uchiha Sasuke. "I must not know what love is," Sasuke often tells himself. Especially when coming to terms with his feelings for Uzumaki Naruto. SasuNaru. AU.

Disclaimer: Naruto & Co. © Masashi Kishimoto

Warnings: Rated M

If – Taeyeon

* * *

**Chapter 4 – If.**

The next two weeks consisted of Sasuke's silent treatment, Naruto's short-lived attempts at reconciliation, and onyx eyes burning holes through a blond head – not particularly in that order. When the bell marking the end of first period rang, Naruto made another futile approach to the raven. A tan hand reached forward, longing to land on a broad shoulder.

"Don't," Sasuke warned before the blond's hand could even reach halfway to its destination.

Cerulean eyes narrowed wearily. "Sasuke…" Naruto pleaded.

Sasuke's head turned, facing the blond for the first time since the incident on the roof two weeks ago. A look of disgust lingered in his onyx orbs. "Don't," He simply repeated before gathering his belongings and storming out of the classroom.

Naruto let out a defeated sigh, dropping his lingering hand. Gathering his own books and bag, he trailed his fingers over Sasuke's desk longingly as he left the room as well.

Sitting at his lab desk, a silver haired teacher glanced curiously over the edge of his questionably decent book, watching the interaction between his two students. _Ah, teenage angst._

_

* * *

_

With Sakura and Ino out of town for a cheer tournament, Hinata at a swim meet, Lee at a martial arts competition, Kiba at home with a sick Akamaru, Chouji in lunch detention, and Gaara moping in the library, Naruto had no one else but Shikamaru to vent to. The two spent their lunch outside on the school's front lawn, a large oak tree providing dancing shadows over their skins.

"I just don't know what to do anymore!" Naruto exasperated to the lazy bum laying on the ground next to him. He slurped a few more bites of his instant ramen before continuing the one-sided conversation, "It's been two weeks! Two whole damn weeks and the first thing he says to me is 'Don't.'" the blond mocked the seriousness in the raven's voice as he reenacted the morning's events.

"Hm," was the only response he received from Shikamaru. His half-lidded eyes trailed along with a slow-moving cloud that resembled an ice cream cone. _I really want ice cream, but I don't want to get up and get it. Maybe I should tell Naruto to get me some. But then that means I have to reach into my pocket and give him the money. This is too troublesome._

"Shikamaru! Are you listening?" The blond huffed.

"Hm."

A weary sigh escaped his lips. "Maybe I should just ask Sakura when she comes back or something."

Shikamaru slowly sat up from his resting spot. His eyes stared into Naruto's deep blue ones, assessing the desperation within them. It was known throughout the school that Shikamaru was not only the smartest student, but also the most loyal friend. He was picky, but everyone knew that by gaining his loyalty, they would also gain his wisdom. Breaking eye contact with the blond, he lay back down, his arms tucked behind his head.

The blond furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "What?"

"Why don't you just, I don't know, talk to him? Work it out."

"Like I've been telling you, I can't! He won't even look at me, let alone talk to me!"

Shikamaru's eyes glanced up at the school's roof, "Well, according to my knowledge, I'm pretty sure that your friend is brooding over this as much as you are."

Naruto was tempted to ask 'How do you know?' but he knew for a fact that the genius beside him was never wrong. Ever. "So…what should I do first?"

Shikamaru inhaled deeply, closing his eyes, "You know where he has lunch, right? Talk to him there."

Naruto thought back to the incident on the roof, wincing visibly. He didn't want a repeat of that scene to occur. Running a hand through his golden locks, he sighed. _Shikamaru's right, as always. I should just tell the bastard about the past seven years and get it over with. _Standing up, he stretched his legs and dusted off the grass clinging to his jeans. "Thanks, Shika. Really." He said softly before jogging back into the school building.

It wasn't until Naruto left that Shikamaru realized he left his empty ramen cup beside him. With no one else outside, he knew that _he_ would have to clean it up. _How troublesome._

_

* * *

_

Sasuke stood at the edge of the roof, glaring down at a yellow and orange oak tree through the holes of the wire fence. Tucking a hand inside the warmth of his pocket, he gave a slight shiver at the cool wind. With the other hand, he held a box carton of tomato juice up to his mouth, sucking the remnants of the red substance from the straw. His eyes never left the two students under the tree, glaring as a pair of black eyes met with his.

"What are you looking at?" A deep voice questioned mockingly behind him.

Sasuke let out a low growl, pulling the empty juice box away from his lips. There was only one person that could sneak up on him without being heard. Even the old creaking door on the roof silenced itself for him. "It doesn't concern you, Neji." He hissed.

He let out half-hearted chuckle. The pale eyed boy stepped toward the wire fence, peering down curiously at the scene below him. "What's with you and the new kid? You've been stalking him for the past two weeks."

Onyx eyes narrowed in irritation, "What the hell do you want, Neji?" He interrogated, ignoring the previous question.

"Besides annoying you? Nothing really. Your pain amuses me."

Sasuke clenched his fists, trying his hardest not to punch the male beside him. Droplets of red tomato juice dripped from the straw of his demolished juice carton. "Neji." He stated through clenched teeth. He knew the prodigy had _some_ reason to approach him, besides causing him a headache.

Neji lifted his hands up in a sign of surrender, "Alright, alright. I was just going to ask if you plan on attending the company banquet this weekend. With the contract between the Hyuuga and Uchiha monopolies, I was wondering if you were planning on attending the event to celebrate."

Sasuke glared disbelievingly at his 'friend'. "Neji. You already know the answer to that, so why bother asking?"

"To annoy you."

The raven took a sharp intake of breath, clenching his fists again. If the juice box was demolished before, it was unrecognizable now. He shut his eyes and tilted his head slightly upwards to the skies, as if cursing the gods.

Neji smirked, satisfied with the amount of annoyance he caused the raven. "Well, I suppose I'll see you at the banquet then, Uchiha." He turned on his heel and began walking towards the stairs. "Oh, and before I forget, why are you so obsessed with the blond kid?"

Onyx eyes slowly opened, still facing the skies above him only with less hostility. This time he had an answer regarding the dobe, "Because I hate him."

With a nod, Neji left quietly through the moaning door. He leisurely and gracefully stepped down the stairs, smirking as he paused beside a boy. "Know your place," he whispered deviously before brushing past and continuing down the staircase.

Three steps away from the door, Naruto stared helplessly through the crack to where Sasuke stood. His sad blue eyes watched the raven's back. _'Because I hate him.'_ The dreaded words repeated in his mind over and over. He knew he should leave. Or maybe even approach him, with obvious anger. He knew he should at least do _something_ besides standing in the dark on the stairs and spying on the raven through the crack of the door. But he didn't have the courage. _If I go closer to him, what would he think?_ _Would he look at me with disgust? Would he turn away? Would we just drift further apart? I'm too scared to know._ So he just stood there, for who knows how long, just staring at the raven through the crack like a fool.

* * *

Sixth hour was the blond's favorite subject – AP English Language and Composition with Umino Iruka. While most students spent their nights crying over an unfinished essay, Naruto spent his nights writing at least three essays and then debating on which one to turn in. It was easy to say that English was obviously his strongest subject. Today, however, was not a good day to be in English class. This was because it was the second class that he had with a certain raven who sat two seats behind and a row next to him. He wondered through the hour if he was actually feeling the onyx eyes burning through his head, or if it was just his imagination. _If he's glaring at me, then he hates me. If he's not, then he doesn't even care if I exist._ Either way, he was too afraid to find out which of two was correct. At the end of the class period, he gathered his belongings slowly, making his best efforts to resist the urge to peek at Sasuke.

"Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto, please stay after class," The kind English teacher called from his desk.

Naruto groaned inwardly. _So much for effort._

When all of the students cleared the classroom, the blond and the raven approached the teacher's desk. Naruto allowed himself to take a glance at Sasuke's back, but not his face. "Naruto, I would like for you to tutor Sasuke in English," Iruka stated with a deviously gentle smile. An awkward silence hung in the empty classroom. Sasuke wasn't sure if the English teacher had made a mistake and had meant for _him_ to to tutor Naruto, which he would vehemently refuse if that was the case. Naruto, on the other hand, wasn't sure if this was a sick joke that he should half-heartedly laugh at, or if his teacher was being serious.

"You want me to–"

"Don't you mean that _I _should–"

The two boys began, but stopped mid-sentence when the brown haired teacher lifted a hand, halting their questions. "Yes, I want you, Naruto, to tutor him – Sasuke – in English language and composition," he pointed at each boy respectively to emphasize his point. Another silence occupied the room. "I suppose you two understand now, yes?"

"Why do I have to–"

"Why should I have to–"

Both boys began again, only to be stopped once more by a chocolate colored hand. "Sasuke, I'm sorry to tell you this, but you have a B in my class. It's borderlining a C."

Sasuke's features paled at this revelation. Of course, most students in Iruka's class already had Ds, but he was an Uchiha. Bs were unacceptable, let alone a C. He merely nodded, struggling to regain his composure. Clearing his throat, he questioned, "But why does Naruto, of all people, have to be the one to tutor me? Surely, there must be someone else."

A bright smile appeared on the English teacher's face, "I'm glad you asked, Sasuke! You see, Naruto is one of my brightest students; he's got a natural talent for writing. To be honest, his writing level is probably better than most senior college students. I wish his talents could be honed in a higher level English class, but unfortunately, my class is the most advanced at Konoha High. So to answer your question, no, there is no one better to tutor you than Naruto."

With each compliment, Naruto's face darkened from a pale pink to a burning red. He could feel his ears heat up with embarrassment.

Sasuke looked from the blushing Naruto to the English teacher, furious that he needed to be tutored by the blond dobe. Hell, he could even hire a tutor if he wanted to! His pride, however, would never allow that. "What is wrong with my writing in the first place?" He spoke tersely from clenched teeth.

Iruka, noting the raven's displeasure, shook his head in pity, "Sasuke, we're writing essays right now, not imitating Edgar Allen Poe." A stifled snort could be heard from the blond, earning him a hateful glare from the raven and a disapproving look from the teacher, "I also recall Kakashi tell me that you're failing AP chemistry, Naruto."

Naruto visibly froze. It's not like he didn't know, but it still made him feel guilty. "Um, yeah, I'm working on that." _God, I hate chemistry. Why the hell did I sign up for Advanced Placement?_ He thought to himself, although he already knew the reason why: On-level classes were far too slow for him after five years of rigorous homeschooling.

"It's a perfect opportunity for you two to learn from each other." The teacher grinned cheerfully.

"Iruka!" Naruto whined childishly, "I have a part time job! I don't have time to tutor, or be tutored!" His blue eyes widened slightly, hoping his 'puppy' look would convince the teacher.

Iruka folded his arms across his chest, biting his bottom lip nervously. _Oh you're good, Naruto. Really good. But Kakashi is going to have my ass in more ways than one if I don't make this happen._ Clearing his throat, he straightened his tie and tidied his already organized desk. "I'm sorry, Naruto, but you're going to have to make sacrifices, and so will you, Sasuke. End of discussion."

Naruto's shoulders slumped in defeat and a pitiful whine came from his throat. He almost screamed 'But he hates me!' complete with an accusatory point at the raven. Almost. _Great. I'm being forced to tutor and be tutored by the guy who hates my guts. Just fucking dandy._

Sasuke, on the other hand, had already given up on persuading the teacher a while ago. He might as just hire a tutor if the blond refused it that much. He slung his backpack over his shoulder and began leaving the classroom, a 'Hey! Wait!' being shouted from behind him.

"Damn it, Sasuke! Wait up!" He reached a hand out towards the raven, retracting it just as quickly behind his back when Sasuke turned around abruptly.

Onyx orbs narrowed dangerously, "Look. I'm not tutoring you, and I sure as hell am not going to be tutored _by_ you. So just…go away." Turning back around, he walked briskly away towards the parking lot.

Letting out a huff, Naruto followed the raven, keeping up with his pace, "Well that just sucks for you now, doesn't it? Because you don't really have a choice. What are you going to do, huh? Use your father's money to _buy_ you a tutor? Face it, Sasuke, you can't–" Before he could finish, he felt a staggering blow across his face. Naruto stumbled backwards, landing on the cement with a bewildered expression and a bleeding lip.

Sasuke stood panting over the blond, trembling with fury, "What do you know, Naruto? What the hell do you know?" It's not like he _wanted_ to use his father's money and influence. Hell, it's not like he even had a choice! But it was either that, tutoring the blond, or get help from – he shivered visibly – Itachi. Looking down at the bleeding blond below him, he grabbed his shirt collar, bringing him close to his face. "I wouldn't let you tutor me unless you _begged _for it on your knees." He pushed Naruto away and left him in a heap on the concrete as he walked across the asphalt to his jet black sports car.

For the second time that day, and for the umpteenth time for the last two weeks, Naruto watched the raven's retreating back dishearteningly. _ Don't go. Don't leave me behind again. _In a daze, he rose from the ground, dusted himself off and wiped his bloody lip with the sleeve of his shirt. '_Why don't you just, I don't know, talk to him? Work it out._' Shikamaru's voice rang in his head. He lifted his head, determination evident in his blue eyes. If this was his only chance to reconcile with Sasuke, then damn it, he was going to make it happen! He grabbed his backpack from the ground and flung it over his shoulder, running across the parking lot to the black car that was about to exit. Just feet away from the turn, Naruto flung himself in front of Sasuke's car, his arms spread wide apart as if it would stop the impending doom.

A squeal of tires could be heard along with honking horns and inappropriate language from passing drivers. "FUCK! DAMN IT, NARUTO!" Sasuke slammed a fist on his steering wheel as he yelled at the blond standing in front of his car, centimeters away from death, or at least a very painful accident. "Do you want to die?" He hissed out the window

Ocean blue peered into midnight black. _If that appeases your hatred for me, I wouldn't mind dying just once._

Taking deep breaths, the raven spoke through clenched teeth, making his best effort not to scream at the blond in public. "Move," he mustered.

"Why do you hate me?" Naruto's voice wavered slightly, his eyes never leaving Sasuke's.

"I told you to move!"

"Then just run over me!"

"You think I don't want to?" The raven screamed back, patience and rationality escaping him. "If I could've, I'd have run you over more than ten times by now!"

Naruto flinched, a look of anguish flittering across his features that made even the raven's heart lurch with guilt. _So you really hate me that much?_ Clenching his fists, Naruto brought his arms down to his sides. He lowered himself onto one knee, then the other. Gulping, he could feel own pride sliding down his throat. His head hung low and his golden bangs covered his downcast eyes. "Please…let me…tutor you." He begged quietly, forcing the words out of his mouth.

It wasn't loud enough for Sasuke to hear over the horns and the yells, but he knew exactly what the dobe was doing. "Get in the car," Blue eyes looked up into raging onyx ones, but Naruto remained motionless, paralyzed. "Get in the fucking car, Naruto." The blond scrambled to his feet and rushed himself inside the car.

"You're a fucking idiot, you know that?" Clutching the steering wheel to keep himself composed, the raven's knuckles turned a ghastly white.

Naruto simply nodded, his eyes staring into the distance. _I know. So don't leave me behind anymore._

_

* * *

_

**Warning: Please look both ways before crossing a street.  
****I love you all.  
****-thinklove**


	6. White Love Story

Title: The World Exists For Just Us Two

Summary: "Love is so...difficult," Naruto often tells himself. Especially since the one he loves is Uchiha Sasuke. "I must not know what love is," Sasuke often tells himself. Especially when coming to terms with his feelings for Uzumaki Naruto. SasuNaru. AU.

Disclaimer: Naruto & Co. © Masashi Kishimoto

Warnings: Rated M

White Love Story – as one

* * *

**Chapter 5 – White Love Story.**

The interior of Sasuke's car was black, unsurprisingly, and it still had the new car smell along with Sasuke's body scent. _It smells like…winter. _Naruto inhaled deeply, his body still trembling from the rush of adrenaline. Naruto snuck a peek at the raven beside him, his hands clenching and unclenching on the steering wheel, veins bulging angrily. An awkward silence hung in the cramped atmosphere of the car. Reaching for the stereo, a lithe, tan finger pressed the on button, the sound of soft music filling the space. Naruto shut his eyes, letting the wordless music engulf him, only to have it abruptly halted by a pale hand. With his eyes still shut, he pressed the radio button again. A quick measure of song began, until Sasuke slammed a hand against the button. Naruto snapped his eyes open, irritation evident in the blue hues, and pushed the knob again with a frown. A low growl came from Sasuke's throat, his foot slamming on the brakes with a little more force than necessary. The blond flinched as his body jerked forward, then collided back into the black leather.

"You really know how to grate on my nerves," Sasuke hissed, onyx eyes narrowing on the blond. He nudged the knob off as he slapped away the approaching tan hand.

Blue eyes peered at Sasuke imploringly. "Why?" He asked more to himself than to the raven, "Why are you like this? What did I do wrong?" Sasuke focused his attention back to the road, inching forward as the light turned green. He could tell that the question wasn't referring to the current situation, but rather the past seven years. A pair of golden brows furrowed impatiently when the question received no answer. "What changed, Sasuke? We were even sworn bro–"

"Shut up."

"Sasuke, why do you keep–"

"Shut _up_!" A pale hand struck the steering wheel frustratingly, "Do you ever stop talking? Why do you even _care_, Naruto? If you're so curious, maybe you should've stuck around to find out instead of running away without a single fucking word!"

A pained expression flashed across the blond's face. He turned away, facing the window sulkily. "I'm sorr–"

"Don't," he warned, "Just…" Sasuke heaved a tired sigh and ran a free hand through his hair, "Just stop."

Leaning his head againt the window, Naruto stared at the turret of the clock tower peeking through the thicket of golden and orange trees, a redness tinting the whites of his eyes.

In an act of compromise, or maybe even remorse, a pale hand reached for the radio, gently tapping the button on and letting the wordless music engulfed them.

* * *

Upon arriving at the Uchiha complex, Naruto's lips pursed in a silent whistle. "Still living as laviciously as ever, I see," he muttered under his breath as they walked through one of the ornate French doors.

Sasuke responded with a roll of his eyes, "It's not like you've nev–", he stopped midsentence as his eyes landed on a pair of shoes by the foyer. Frozen for a split second, he felt his stomach clench as panic entered his system. _Shit, he's not supposed to be here!_ Turning around to face the blond, he nudged him back towards the door, using his body to block the blond from re-entering. "We can't study here. Let's go to your place instead."

"Whoa, what's the deal? We're already here so we might as well, you know?"

The raven hissed impatiently, "Look, as much as I'd like to argue with you about this, there's no negotiating. We're going to–"

"Oh? Little brother, you're home." A deep, smooth voice interrupted from behind them.

Sasuke could _hear_ the smirk in the voice. "Itachi," he muttered viciously under his breath. He tilted his face toward the ceiling, cursing the gods. Turning around, he faced the taller raven with an impassive mask, "What are you doing here?"

A dark brow raised at the question, "Well, _little brother_, being the filial son that I am, I came to visit our parents," He explained plainly. The older Uchiha leaned his side against a wall, crossing his arms over his chest and shifting his weight lazily, "And you too, I suppose."

Sasuke scowled at the afterstatement, growling as he felt himself being pushed aside by the blond next to him, who he'd just so happened to forget about.

"Itachi? Whoa, it really is you! It's been so long!" The blond exclaimed as he approached the older brother with a sheepish grin.

Black eyes widened slightly, blinking a few times before softening. A gentle smile graced the older Uchiha's face, "Well, if it isn't the blondie!" he responded, ruffling the golden spikes with a hand, "What brings you here after such a long time?"

The blond chuckled as he playfully swatted the hand away, "Believe it or not, I'm actually here to tut– OW!" He rubbed the back of his head were Sasuke had smacked him.

"I'm tutoring him in chem. Now if you'll _excuse _us." The raven expressed irritably as he grabbed the back collar of Naruto's shirt, dragging him up the stairs. A scowl remained on his face as he recalled the blond greeting Itachi in such a _friendly_ manner. _Since when have they gotten so close? Tch._ But what had annoyed him the most was the thought of Itachi ruffling the blond locks. Physical contact. _Don't fucking touch him._

"–ke… –suke…SASUKE!"

"WHAT?" The raven yelled back, turning his face around to look at the blond.

"I've been calling your name for the past _ever_! Let go of my fucking shirt!"

Sasuke glanced at the plain white t-shirt crumpled in his hands. "Sorry," he mumbled as he released the blond, wrinkles creasing the once crisp shirt.

Tan hands ran down the length, smoothing out the kinks. "You've got to stop doing that. I swear, you have some kind of obsession with grabbing my shirts."

Onyx eyes narrowed on the blond before rolling irritably.

Naruto leaned his head to the side, peering around the raven into the room behind him. Sasuke turned around curiously, peeking at what caught the blond's interest. It was the theatre room that they had often spent their time watching rented movies and playing video games on. "I've never thought about it until now, but do you watch porn on that thing too?" the blond asked half-jokingly as he pointed at the large screen and projector. "Ow!" He received a slap on the head and an scowl as an answer, although the raven never did deny it.

"Dobe," he began, "Are you going to ask stupid questions all day? Or are we actually going to learn something?"

The blond opened his mouth to protest but was met with Sasuke's back as he walked away, leaving Naruto standing in the middle of the hallway, mouth agape. Blinking, he scowled as he followed Sasuke. "Prick," he muttered lowly.

"Did you just say something?" The raven questioned irritably, opening the door to his room and leading the blond in.

"No. Nothing at all," he replied with feigned innocence. Upon entering Sasuke's room, Naruto stood at the entrance in slight surprise as well as disappointment. A small frown hung on his lips as he swept his eyes across the room. Gone were the childhood memories of ninja scrolls and mecha action figures, and in their place stood chic technology and posh furniture. He felt a pang of regret arise from deep within him as he observed the room.

"Are you going to stand at the door all day?" Sasuke emerged from the bathroom (_When did he go anyway?_) shirtless, a pair of gray sweats hanging precariously low on his hips.

A red tinge of blush spread across whiskered cheeks as Naruto looked away. "Ah, um, yeah. I was just wondering where all the posters and stuff went," he drawled mindlessly, waving a hand at the bare walls as he made his way toward the bed.

Sasuke glanced up at his naked white walls. He had them repainted from blue to white a few years back. "Hn. It's not like they could've stayed there forever," the raven responded as he pulled a loose black t-shirt over his head. He always changed as soon as he got home, opting for comfortable lounge wear as opposed to his school clothes.

"Oh," Naruto spoke quietly, dejection lacing his voice. He was the one who got the ninja scrolls and action figures for Sasuke.

The dark haired teen didn't miss the look of rejection flash across the blond's face. He noticed the way his shoulders drooped and the blue eyes dim just ever so slightly. To be honest, he still had all the stuff Naruto had given him, tucked safely and carefully away in a box and stowed in the attic. Not that he would inform the blond or anything. "Do you have your chem homework? I'll check it for now," the raven stated, changing the subject.

Blue eyes removed themselves from the surroundings. Reaching into his backpack, Naruto pulled out what seemed to be the recent chemistry homework assignments and notes, handing it over to the raven.

Onyx orbs skimmed over the page, the corner of his lips curling upwards. Scrawls of letters with random cirlces and lines jutting out from every way decorated the page. "Is this supposed to be an artistic rendition of Lewis structures? Because they're just…wrong. All wrong."

"Hey! I resent that! All I did was copy what Kakashi put up on the board," the blond shot back defensively.

Sasuke shrugged. It was true that the notes looked very much like the chicken scratch on the chemistry teacher's blackboard. More often than not, the raven had to rely on his own research and textbooks rather than Kakashi's lectures. "We'll start from there then, I guess."

15 minutes later.

Naruto lay panting on the bed, an equally hot and breathy raven hovering over him. Midnight blue pillows and covers lay strewn in disarray, a rainfall of feathers floating in the air. Sasuke's tongue peeked from the corner of his mouth, moistening the lips. "Dobe," he began in a heated whisper, "for the last fucking time, SIT YOUR ASS DOWN AND DO YOUR DAMN HOMEWORK!"

The blond bucked upwards, knocking the raven over and switching their positions. "DAMMIT, SASUKE! I JUST DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT THE MASS OF A GOD DAMN ELECTRON!"

Placing the palms of his hands on Naruto's chest, the raven pushed him off, twisting his body to escape. Naruto toppled to the side, growling warningly (and playfully). The two simultaneously searched for a weapon – a dangerously soft and down feather-filled weapon. Sasuke grabbed Naruto's leg, pulling him away from a nearby pillow. He sprawled himself over the blond's body, using his own weight to slow Naruto's movements as he tried to reach the pillow himself. Seeing as neither could reach it in their current position, Sasuke chose to halt the blond's movements instead. Naruto's knees pressed into the mattress, his bottom swaying in the air with the Uchiha hovering over him. He could feel an arm being twisted behind his back – not painfully, but still enough to restrict his movements – and his head being pressed into the blankets.

"Why can't you just sit still and study like a normal human?" Sasuke growled as he struggled to keep the blond's movements still.

Naruto wriggled childishly, attempting to find some weakness in the hold. "Maybe 'cause there's no point in remembering the mass of something I can't even see!" He hissed back, face pressed against the blue comforter. "Now let me go, you prick! My arm hurts. " Naruto continued to struggle, shifting this way and that until he pressed back into a certain special area.

Sasuke bit his lower lip, holding back a moan. It would be a lie to say that he didn't feel _some_ kind of jolt. "Fuck, if you would just quit struggling, maybe it wouldn't hurt so–"

"Ahem." A pale hand knocked on the door, interrupting the _intimate_ moment.

A pair of eyes shot up to see an amused smirk plastered on the older Uchiha's face. _Fuck. _Sasuke pushed himself off of Naruto, just now realizing what their position may have looked like to bystanders. "Have you ever heard of knocking _before_ entering, Itachi?" Sasuke avoided the mirth in his brother's eyes by staring off to the side, attempting to hide his furious blush.

Itachi's smirk widened ever so slightly, "I did knock, but you two were so busy…_studying_…that you didn't hear me the first time."

Naruto shifted off he bed, moving as far away from Sasuke as possible as he approached the older brother. "Itachi! I'm so glad you're here. Your little brother can be such a pain in the ass!" He exclaimed.

"…I can see that," Onyx eyes upturned, amused.

"I mean, who needs to know what intermolecular bonds are, right? It's not like you can see them any – OW!" The blond glanced down at the murderous _pillow_ that had just attacked him. Growling lowly, he muttered out a "Teme!"

"Hn," _It's all the dobe's fault. And that stupid pillow._ "What did you come here for, Itachi?" He spoke in his usual 'Uchiha's-don't-ask-questions;-they-demand-answers' tone.

The older male raised an eyebrow. His little brother was learning from him quite well. "Mother would like to know if your guest will be staying for dinner," he explained while pointing a thumb at the blond.

Sasuke answered with a shrug, "I'd rather he not."

Naruto flinched at the honest answer, shifting his eyes nervously.

Itachi leaned his body against the doorframe, arms folded across his chest. "Hn, now that's not a polite way to treat your guests, Sasuke." He didn't mind having Naruto over for dinner as it would make things much more…interesting. "After all, I'm sure mother and father would love to see how mature Naruto has become."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. _Mature? Yeah, right. _"Ask him, not me."

The eldest nodded before turning to the blond, "Naruto, you're more than welcome to have dinner with us tonight. Will you join us?"

Both sets of midnight black eyes landed on the blond, awaiting an answer. One pair said 'Say 'yes' and I'll kill you' while the other pair remained unreadable with mirth. Naruto lifted his hands up to his chest, palms facing outward in a motion of surrender. "Um, I don't really mind, but…"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed on the blond menacingly, seeming to declare 'I'm. Going. To. Kill. You.'

Itachi ruffled the blond locks, "Good. I'll see you two at the dinner table." Stepping out of the room, he turned around abruptly and added with a smirk, "Oh, and before I forget, Sasuke, do try to play nice with your friend." He nodded at the two before exiting the room and shutting the door firmly.

Sasuke glared at the door, wishing that his eyes could telepathically send death rays to his brother. Knowing that this was impossible, he gave up and launched another pillow at the blond, "This is all your fault, you know."

Flinching as the second pillow smacked him in the face, he sputtered out feathers, "What the hell, teme! Don't take it out on me!" He grabbed the two cushions off the floor and chucked them back at the raven one after the other, growling when he dodged them easily.

A miserable sounding groan escaped the pale lips as Sasuke flopped his back on the bed, legs dangling off the edge. "Why don't we just move onto English, dobe."

Naruto 'hmphed,' jumping on the bare side of the bed and burrowing into the covers. "Do you have anything you want me to review?"

The raven let out a pondering 'hn,' and he stared at his white ceiling as the seconds ticked by. "There was an essay that I just got back the other day. I guess you can look at that. It's on the desk over there." A pale hand gestured to the desk on the opposite side of the room. "It's just a rough draft though. The final copy is due next week."

Untangling his body from the nest of feathers, Naruto crawled off the bed and traipsed over to the desk, glancing at the chic and compact electronics flashing. He picked up the draft, his eyes skimming over the words. Making his way back to the bed, he let out a snort.

"What?"

"…Nothing."

A few sentences later, a 'pft' sound escaped through his plump lips.

"What!" The raven demanded impatiently and uneasily.

Cerulean eyes glanced up, "Well, to be honest, this essay would give any college professor an aneurysm." Sasuke opened his mouth to retaliate, but shut it firmly when the blond continued. "You have run-ons and sentence fragments everywhere! This isn't supposed to be a poem, Sasuke." Naruto shook the paper as if it would knock some sense into it. "Your diction and syntax is horrible, to say the least. And did you even notice all the comma splices you have? Blasphemy!"

"Comma wha –?"

"COMMA SPLICES, Sasuke. The root of all evil in English Literature." Blue eyes bore into onyx, displaying nothing but seriousness.

Sasuke huffed, blowing a stray hair out of his face, "Is it really that bad?"

Naruto shrugged, tossing the essay onto the bed before flopping down next to Sasuke. "It could use more than just improvement." He responded honestly, red pen in hand.

20 minutes later.

"YOU USED ANOTHER FUCKING COMMA IN THE WRONG PLACE!" Naruto wailed, his fingers digging into pale flesh.

Sasuke struggled to keep the weight of his body over the blond's. "I DON'T CARE!" He used one hand to grip both the tan ones while trailing his free hand down the lithe body beneath him. Naruto's legs hung spread apart as Sasuke's thighs settled between them.

"Get off of me! And stop touching me, you pervert!" Naruto wriggled and struggled, his face flushed with embarrassment. _What is he going to do to me?_

"Dobe," the raven leaned his face toward the panting plump lips of the boy beneath him. A hand paused at a dangerously exposed collarbone, his finger tapping gently, teasing the flesh. "You should…" He paused, breathing softly and nearing ever so closer to the lips "…shut up."

KNOCK. KNOCK.

The two bodies on the bed froze, hearts racing and breaths stifiled. Sasuke rolled to the side next to Naruto and kicked the still frozen blond off the bed in a panic. The poor boy landed on the hard floor with a painful thud and a shrill "OOMPH!"

"C-Come in," the raven ordered, cursing his voice for sounding somewhat breathless.

The door opened slowly, revealing a red-faced housekeeper whose voice trembled as she stuttered.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the girl, "What is it?"

"D-dinner…is r-r-ready, s-sir." Her eyes avoided the raven on the bed.

Running a hand through his hair, Sasuke let out a sigh and waved the housekeeper away, who obeyed more than willingly. "You heard her, dobe. Get up."

Naruto let out a grown and rubbed a bump on his head that was sure to grow twice its size by tomorrow. "Teme," He warned, but figured it would be too troublesome, and even painful, to argue with him.

Upon arriving in the dining room, Naruto winced as his cheeks were assaulted by two soft pale hands. "Oh it's you, Naruto! You've grown up to be so handsome!" Mikoto fawned as she pinched is two cheeks the same way she had when he was three.

Naruto let out a sheepish chuckle, his face a slight pink, partly from her pinching and partly from shyness.

Sasuke scowled at the scene as he sat himself down. A strange feeling of envy settled into him.

"How was your study session, little brother?" Itachi inquired mischievously.

"Hn." Sasuke responded vaguely in an attempt to avoid giving a full answer.

"What's that about studies, Sasuke?" Fugaku questioned from the head of the table. "Have you been falling behind?" he asked sternly.

Sasuke cursed under his breath at his brother, who in turn, smirked satisfactorily.

"Oh, he's just tutoring me in chemistry, sir." Naruto interrupted as he sat down next to Itachi and across from Sasuke. He grinned impishly while rubbing the back of his head, "Sasuke's really smart, you know? He's probably at the top of our class."

Sasuke looked up at the blond incredulously. Cerulean locked with onyx in a brief conversation of silence.

"Is that so?" Mikoto smiled kindly at the blond. She gracefully took her seat between her husband and her son. She patted Sasuke's hand gently and lovingly, "Isn't that wonderful, dear?"

Fugaku let out a grunt, "You shouldn't spoil him too much, Mikoto. He'll never leave the nest."

The group laughed merrily, except for Sasuke who allowed a small smirk to grace his features. The sound of laughter and clinking silverware on plates proceeded through the dinner.

"How is your father, Naruto?" Fugaku asked in the midst of his dessert.

Naruto swallowed the last bit of his ice cream and tapped the spoon against his lips in thought. "He's been really busy lately, but he's well." Naruto responded.

Fugaku shut his eyes and nodded his head in understanding, "I see. That's to be expected though, of course. The life of a politician is never easy, especially for a great one like your father."

Naruto nodded silently and pursed his lips in response. Sasuke looked across at the blond's expression and lightly kicked his leg under the table. Naruto glanced up curiously, kicking the raven back. Sasuke tilted his head to the side, his eyes glancing to the direction of the stairs in a 'ready to go?' gesture. The blond blinked and nodded slowly.

Sasuke nodded in return and turned to his parents, "Mother, father, if you'll excuse us."

Fugaku grunted while Mikoto smiled sweetly, "Naruto, you're welcome to have dinner with us again anytime. Give your Minato our regards, please."

The blond nodded briefly. "Thank you for dinner, ma'am, sir," Naruto responded as he bowed slightly at the two and waved goodbye to Itachi. He followed Sasuke up the stairs and into his room.

"Thanks." The raven said as they entered the privacy of his bedroom. It had been a while, a very long while, since the last time the Uchiha family had a dinner that didn't involve at least one of them screaming and storming away from the table.

Naruto stared at the raven, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "For what?"

"Nothing. Nevermind." Sasuke picked up the blond's backpack and handed it to honey colored hands. "Just…thanks." The next thing that Sasuke did made the world stop spinning.

For a split second, Naruto stopped breathing. His heart stopped beating. And time stood still. He could feel his eyes stinging and his nose tingling from the tears that threatened to escape. For the first time in _years_ Sasuke genuinely _smiled _at him.

It was a smile that could melt the hearts of the coldest people. A smile that made the last two weeks of hell all worthwhile. A smile that made Sasuke look so beautifully innocent and handsome. _A smile that was mine._ _Used to be mine._

Shaking his head slightly, Naruto half-heartedly returned the smile. "Uh…Thanks for dinner."

"Hn. Do you need a ride home? Or did you move back to your old house?" Sasuke inquired.

"Uh…I moved back so I can just walk." Naruto lied. In actuality, it would take him about an hour to get home by bus, metro, and foot. He didn't know why he lied, but he felt that it would be better if he did. Sasuke nodded as the two walked down the stairs and to the front door. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Hn."

* * *

Naruto let out a sigh as he walked up the driveway to his house, bringing a finger to his lips. His thoughts flashed back to when they were on the bed. The way Sasuke's onyx eyes gazed into his own flustered him enough to where he could hardly fight back. _What was he going to do?_ Glancing up, he noticed the light of the kitchen on. _Dad_? He thought excitedly, shoving aside his previous thoughts. Running up to the door, he stumbled inside and glanced at the pair of shoes by the door. "Dad! Are you home?"

"I'm in the kitchen!" A voice called back.

Naruto rushed to the kitchen, pouncing on his father with a bear hug. "Why didn't you call me? I would've gotten home sooner!"

Minato let out a chuckle and ruffled the blond locks that tickled his face. "I figured I'd surprise you for dinner, but I guess you already ate?"

Naruto smiled guiltily and mumbled an apologetic "Sorry."

"That's alright. Keep me company?" Minato asked, pointing at the bowl of ramen in front of him.

Naruto nodded exuberantly and took a seat across from his father. "How's work?"

"Fine. How's school?"

"Fine. I'm failing AP Chem though. Oh, and Kakashi is my teacher. And now Sasuke is tutoring me in chem while I tutor him in english. That's about all."

The older blond raised an eyebrow at his son, not knowing where to start. "Uh…That's great I suppose. I mean, it's not great that you're failing, but it's good that you're getting tutored."

"Yeah, Sasuke's a real spartan, but he's good at teaching." Naruto smiled, his expression bright before turning to solemn. "How long?"

Minato stiffened, "How long, what?"

"How long is it going to be this time? It's another business trip, right? Usually, you'd kick my ass if I told you I'm failing in school. " Naruto's voice trembled slightly.

Letting out a sigh, Minato put down his soup spoon and chopsticks. He laced his fingers and rested his elbows on the table, his chin cradling on his hands. "Three months."

Naruto froze, his hands shaking in his lap. "That's…longer than usual." The 'usual' being three weeks. Naruto swallowed, forcing his voice to remain steady.

Minato's eyes softened and his brows furrowed. "I know, son. I know. But lately things have just been–" He stopped when he saw his son's hand raise.

"It's okay. I don't want to hear it. I'll be fine." Cerulean eyes dulled, disappointed. The sound of chopsticks clicking against the bowl filled the room as Minato continued eating. "Why don't we move back to Uzushiogakure?" Naruto muttered almost inaudibly.

Again, Minato paused, dropping his eating utensils. Would he ever get to finish his dinner tonight? Not that he had an appetite anymore. "What? Why? You just started school here a few weeks ago." He sighed.

"It's just…" Naruto glanced at his father's face, worn and tired, with wrinkles forming around his eyes, "You loved it there. You were happier. Less busy."

Minato smiled, reaching a hand forward to ruffle his son's golden mop of hair. "I am happy here," he assured, "I did love Uzushiogakure, but Konoha is where _you_ should be."

Naruto smiled, his body slouching as tension left his body, "Mm. Okay."

Grinning, the older blond pushed his bowl of unfinished ramen away. "Guess what?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. He wasn't really in the mood for guessing games but he shrugged anyway, "What?"

"Before I leave, I get three days to be in town to get ready. So we can do whatever you want until Saturday! Is there anything you have in mind?"

Naruto pondered for a moment before a wide grin appeared on his face. "Well, you know how I work at the café, PAUL?" Minato nodded quickly. "I made a recipe a while back and now it's on the menu. You _have_ to come try it tomorrow, okay?"

Minato laughed, "Okay. I promise."

* * *

**Thursday**

Sasuke shivered as he brushed off some orange leaves off of his coat. This year's fall was much colder than any of the previous years. A light jingling noise of an overhead bell could be heard as he pushed open the door to a rustic café.

He had overheard (more like eavesdropped) Naruto's friends, Sakura and Ino, gossiping about how wonderful the café where Naruto worked was. When the raven had approached to two asking where the café was, they were more than willing to give him answers, including their phone numbers, addresses, zodiac signs, and blood types. He could literally see the hearts in their eyes.

Upon entering the café, he glanced around, noticing the rustic and French feel of the place. Near the far side of the room was a lit fireplace that made the place feel all the more cozy. The customers inside sat intimately at the few tables and spoke in hushed tones. Much to Sasuke's joy, there was not a sight of a child or baby anywhere inside the café, making it seem like an exclusive café for the sophisticated. Sitting at a booth by the window was a mop of golden hair. Sasuke smirked upon seeing the head of blond and walked toward the booth. "Slacking off during work, dobe?" He asked while plopping himself down across from the blond.

"Pardon?" A deep voice questioned in confusion.

Sasuke blinked as he stared at the person in front of him, who was in fact not his dobe. _Since when did he become mine?_ He thought to subconsciously to himself. A blush creeped onto his face when he realized that he had mistaken him for someone else. "Oh, um…Sorry. Wrong person." He began to stand up when the man laughed.

"Sasuke, it's alright. It's me, Minato, Naruto's father." His laughs died down to chuckles. "I guess you don't recognize me. It's been awhile, have a seat." He gestured.

The raven nodded slowly and sat down, "Thank you, sir." He responded politely.

"How have you been? I heard from Naruto that you two are studying together. He says that you're quite the spartan," The older blond began, "but he also added that you're quite good at teaching."

Sasuke's cheeks lightly flushed at the somewhat compliment, "I've been well, thank you. Me and Naruto began studying yester–"

"_Naruto and I_, Sasuke," A voice corrected. The two heads whipped up to see Naruto with a hand on his hip and a cup of café au lait in the other. He gently placed the cup in front of his father. "Hey, dad," He gave his father a quick hug. "Sasuke," he greeted with a wary expression, "What can I get you?"

_You don't have to look so guarded._ The raven thought, slightly hurt from the blond's reaction. "Um…I'll have the same thing your dad's having."

Naruto's golden brow lifted, as if to ask 'are you sure about that?', but shrugged and went back to the kitchen, throwing an "Okay" over his shoulder.

About five minutes later, Naruto returned with a tray of two napoleons and a cup of café au lait. Sasuke glared at what seemed to be a face of a white kitten floating on the surface of his drink. "Dobe," he began, "what the hell is that?"

Naruto rolled his cerulean eyes, leaning his body on the table. "It's called latte art, teme. The customers tend to like things like that. I thought a cat would suit you well." He responded with a grin.

"I had a bear," Minato added with a smile.

"Hn." Sasuke picked up a spoon and stirred his drink with unhidden evil intention. Naruto gasped in feigned shock as if he could hear the crying mews of his dying coffee art, while Minato, on the other hand, laughed at the two.

"Anyway, when you finish tell me how it is, okay, dad?" Naruto reminded as he headed back to the kitchen.

Minato nodded with a smile, watching his son's back as he stalked away. _He's grown up so fast_. _I regret that I couldn't be the best father for him, Kushina._ Picking up his fork, he scooped up a corner of the dessert and took a bite, gesturing to Sasuke to do the same.

Sasuke stared at the cake-like dessert in front of him. He disliked, no, despised sweets. Not wanting to be rude, he unwillingly took a bite of the napoleon, surprised at the taste. The pastry melted in his mouth delicately. The crème was sweet, but not too sweet. The tangy strawberries mingled in with the vanilla and apricot flavor, making it somewhat tart.

"How is it?" Minato asked curiously, already halfway done with his own plate.

"It's really good," The raven admitted somewhat reluctantly.

The blond father let out a chuckle, "That boy could really learn how to fend for himself if he knew how to make things other than ramen and dessert."

Sasuke's eyebrow curled in confusion, "Who?"

Minato blinked slowly, "Naruto, of course."

Onyx eyes widened in shock, "You mean he made this?" He asked incredulously, pointing a fork at the napoleon.

"Yes. He's just an apprentice, but his recipes are already on the menu. Pretty good for him, don't you think?"

Sasuke nodded quietly, still a bit surprised that the dobe could make something like it. He had always thought that the dobe could only heat up water for instant ramen, and if he ever ran out of either of two, hell would freeze over. It made him somewhat jealous to see how capable the blond really was. _He's smart, has a job, and can cook. And here I am still riding on my father's coattails._

"So how was it?" A honey voice asked. Naruto blinked at the two empty plates. He hadn't thought that Sasuke would like it, but he was mistaken.

"It was good, son. Very good. How about next time you make some dinner for us?" Minato asked hopefully.

"Only if you want instant ramen." Naruto responded sternly, but teasingly. Meals were too troublesome compared to desserts. "Sasuke?" the blond inquired with baited breath.

"Hn. I didn't think that you would actually be capable of making something_ edible_," the raven teased, folding his arms across his chest. He smirked when he saw his dobe huff and pout _(He's not mine dammit!). _"But it was good. Really good." He praised.

Naruto's grin widened sheepishly across his face. "T-thanks," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his head shyly. "Anyway, I probably won't be home until after ten, dad. Sorry, we won't be able to do much today."

Minato nodded in understanding while standing up. "That's alright. I have to pick up some suits from the dry cleaner anyway. There's always tomorrow," He consoled as he put on his coat. "Work hard, kiddo," The older blond ruffled his son's head before exiting the café, jingling the bell overhead.

After waving his father goodbye, Naruto turned his attention back to the raven, "Well, I guess you can just hang out here until whenever." The blond shrugged.

The raven felt irritation boil within him in response to how unimportant the dobe made him sound, as if he had no choice but to babysit the dark haired boy. "Actually, I have my own business to attend to," Sasuke began to stand up, but felt firm tan hands press down on his shoulders.

"W-wait," Naruto held up a finger as if it would keep him there. "Wait right there for a bit. Hang on just a sec, okay?" He rushed back to the kitchen, glancing back twice to make sure the raven wasn't moving.

In truth, Sasuke had nothing else to do for the rest of the day. The reason why he was there in the first place was because he left his house keys at home and no one would be home to answer the door until late. Not that he would tell anyone that. He could stay at the café until the blond got off work if he wanted to. Not that he did. Not really. The raven sighed and blew a stray strand of hair away from his face, only to have it fall back. He stirred his half-filled cup of café au lait, taking a sip of it. Although it had mostly cooled down, it was just warm enough to heat his core for the cold fall season. Inhaling deeply, he could pick up a slight scent of cinnamon from his cup. _I bet that's what he smells like._ He thought to himself before shoving the idea of sniffing the dobe away.

"Here you go," The blond returned with a box labeled 'PAUL' and placed it on the table. He noticed the way Sasuke's dark eyebrow rose in question. "For your family," He answered.

Nodding, Sasuke rose and put on his coat, reaching for his wallet. A warm, tan hand gently landed on his own cold, pale one.

"It's my treat," the blond smiled, seeming to light up the whole room.

Sasuke returned the smile with his own small one. It wasn't able to light up the room like Naruto's was, but it was enough to light up Naruto's _world._ Naruto could feel his breath hitch in his throat. "Thanks, Naruto," He spoke softly and genuinely.

Naruto stood, his hand frozen in a wave goodbye, as Sasuke exited through the café's jingling door. When the raven left his line of sight, Naruto lowered his hand to his chest, clutching the cloth at the spot where his heart existed underneath. Letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, Naruto shut his eyes and pictured the same soft smile that was permanently etched into his mind. The smile that lit up his world.

_Thank you, Sasuke…_

* * *

**Misopretty-perfection: You make me blush.  
****Thank you all for your reviews, it makes me so incredibly giddy when I read them.****  
****I'll try to leave chapter updates on my profile page.  
****So you can check that instead of wondering **_**WHEN IS THE NEXT CHAPTER? **_**Like I do.  
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****-thinklove.  
**


	7. Promise Me

Title: The World Exists For Just Us Two

Summary: "Love is so...difficult," Naruto often tells himself. Especially since the one he loves is Uchiha Sasuke. "I must not know what love is," Sasuke often tells himself. Especially when coming to terms with his feelings for Uzumaki Naruto. SasuNaru. AU.

Disclaimer: Naruto & Co. © Masashi Kishimoto

Warnings: Rated M

Yakusoku wo Shiyou - supercell

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Promise me.**

Naruto walked tiredly up the driveway to his house, massaging his sore arms. Piping, whisking, and mixing is actually a lot more tiring than it seems._ I wonder if Sasuke's family liked my napoleon._ Naruto thought, smiling to himself. He looked up at his house, each light turned off. _Dad must be asleep already_. He glanced at his watch which flashed 22:47 PM. Sighing, he made his way through the door, nearly toppling over as he reached down to untie his shoes. Looking at his surroundings, he felt something unsettling. His father's shoes were missing. Standing up quickly, he let out a feeble "Dad?" _Maybe he forgot to take them off. Or maybe he packed them already and he's wearing a different pair tomorrow._ He hoped. Wandering through the house, he checked the places where he thought his father may be – the master bedroom, the living room, the office, the bathroom – all of which were empty. "Dad?" He called out louder, still hoping for an answer. Upon entering the kitchen, Naruto was afraid to turn on the light. To turn it on and see that it too would be empty. With a shaking hand, he flipped the switch, light flooding the room. As expected it was empty. On the table was an orange bag, decorated with black polka dots and adorned with curly red ribbons. Next to it was a small white sheet of paper, torn haphazardly from a notebook. Scrawled in hastened and sloppy handwriting was a quick note from his father.

_Naruto,_

_When I got home, I got a call that my flight had been cancelled._

_I had to pack and leave for the next flight, which is tomorrow._

_I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise._

_I hope that you can forgive me._

_I left you a gift, and I hope you like it._

_Happy early birthday, kiddo._

_I love you._

_See you soon,_

_Your father._

Biting back tears, Naruto crumpled the damned paper in his hand and threw it across the room. It instead dropped, or maybe even floated, to the far side of the room, not showing nearly as much frustration as Naruto had intended it to. _'See you soon' my ass! _Turning back to the gift, he picked it up harshly and lifted it high above his head. He paused, tears streaming down his face. Instead of throwing it to the ground like how he planned, he lowered it to his chest, hugging it tightly. "I don't like it," He sniffled, "I hate it, dad. This doesn't make me happy at all."

Naruto placed the bag back onto the table, fully wrapped and unopened. He turned, flipped the light off, and went up to his bedroom. That night, the first of many dark and lonely nights, Naruto cried himself to sleep.

* * *

**Friday**

Naruto stood in front of the Uchiha estate, not quite remember how he had gotten there. _Let's see, I went straight to work after school, worked my ass off until ten thirty, got on the bus, got on the metro, got on another bus, and…walked here?_ He looked up at somewhat intimidating manor. No matter how many times he went to the Uchiha residence, his feeling of inadequacy never fully went away. _Well I'm here already so I might as well… _With a sigh, his honey colored hand reluctantly rung the doorbell. Moments later, Naruto was surprised to see Itachi greet him. He wasn't surprised at Itachi per se, but rather the way Itachi looked. The older college student had his dark hair tied in a ponytail, as usual, and a headband pushing his bangs out of his face. Resting at the tip of his nose was a pair of thin, rimless glasses. A pair of sweatpants hung precariously low on his hips. His muscles rippled across his bare chest as he pushed the door open and moved to the side to allow the blond in.

"You coming in?" Itachi asked as he watched the dumbstruck expression on the blond's face. He smiled, clearly amused at the situation.

"Ah, um…" Naruto coughed, "Yeah…tutoring. Sasuke. You know?" He replied dumbly as he let himself in.

Itachi smirked and pointed over his shoulder at the staircase. "Have fun," he replied with more innuendo than the blond could understand.

"Okay, thanks," Naruto replied before rushing up the stairs.

When he reached the closed door of Sasuke's bedroom, he cleared his throat, lifted a hand, and knocked. And knocked. And knocked. Not just three times, but 30 rapid annoying knocks that made Sasuke literally fly to the other side of the room and swing the door open. "Don't. Fucking. Do. That." He hissed, actually quite surprised to see the blond standing in front of his room.

"Hello to you too, Sasuke," Naruto responded as he let himself into the room.

The raven rolled his eyes and shut the door as he turned to face the blond. "What are you doing here?"

"Tutoring," He stated simply, pulling his books out of his backpack.

"It's fucking eleven o'clock at night. And it's a Friday night. Shouldn't you be out partying with your friends?" Sasuke almost sneered at the word 'friends'.

The blond let out a 'hmph' as he kicked off his shoes and plopped down on Sasuke's bed, his books scattered around him. "For your information, I work late on Fridays. So no, I don't party with my friends."

"And what makes you think _I_ have the time to tutor you at such a late hour? I could be out too, you know," Sasuke asked, a hand resting at his hip.

Naruto glanced at Sasuke's appearance. Much like Itachi, he had his hair tied up and a headband pushing his bangs back. A pair of sweatpants hanging low on his hips and a bare and shirtless chest that revealed flawless pale skin. Naruto's delicate blond eyebrow rose in questioning, "Yeah, you're definitely dressed to go clubbing tonight," He responded dryly.

The raven let out a huff. No, he never went out. And yes, he had the time to study with Naruto. "Move over." He mumbled as he crawled onto the bed.

"You and your brother dress a lot alike," Naruto stated, gesturing at Sasuke's choice of night apparel.

"It's comfortable," The raven replied defensively.

The blond shrugged and rolled onto his stomach. Reading through his chemistry textbook, he began taking notes. Beside him, Sasuke sat leaning his back against the bed's headboard, a school copy of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby in his hands. A few chapters later, he could hear the steady breathing of the blond lying beside him. A quiet whimper escaped the blond's plump lips. Sasuke's dark brows furrowed in concern. "If you were so tired, you didn't have to come, dobe," he murmured softly, a pale hand ruffling the blond locks comfortingly. Gently and carefully, Sasuke removed the hard chemistry textbook from beneath the dobe's head and replaced it with a plush, feathery pillow. He tossed the covers over the both of them, snuggled deep into the caresses of his bed, and clicked the light off. "Good night, dobe."

* * *

**Saturday**

Sasuke awoke with a groan, his body sore for some apparent reason. Sunlight shone unrelentlessly through the windows. _Why is it so damn bright?_ He questioned looking to the side. _Oh._ It wasn't just the sun that was blinding him. Next to him, Naruto breathed softly, an innocent expression on his face. His blond locks shone with the sun, melding the two golds together. "You're a lot less annoying when you're sleeping." The raven grumbled as he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Stretching his arms overhead and yawning, Sasuke glanced at the clock. _9:12_. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, stepping onto the unwelcoming, cold carpeted floor, and headed toward his bathroom.

Stepping into the showers, Sasuke hissed as cold water automatically fell like rainfall from the showerhead above him. It quickly warmed to a comfortable heat as he adjusted a few knobs. After lathering himself up and washing off, Sasuke sat down on the built-in bench. Water slid down his body in droplets and his hair clung to his face. _What was I doing?_ He thought to himself as he recalled memories of nearing Naruto's lips the day before. He also remembered how gently he treated the blond dobe last night. _What am I doing now? What does he mean to me?_ He asked himself over and over. The raven rested his elbows on his knees and cradled his head in his hands. The growing feelings he had for the dobe were unsettling to him. He couldn't describe the way he felt when the blond smiled or called his name. "Naruto," Sasuke whispered to himself, "What are you doing to me?"

A rush of cold, morning autumn air caressed his face as he stepped out of the bathroom. Dressed in a longsleeved black v-neck and a pair of gray sweats, Sasuke rubbed his wet hair with a towel. When he looked up, his hands froze and his breath was literally stolen away. At his window, Naruto stood leaning against his balcony, the most peaceful, innocent, and beautiful expression on his face. Naruto shut his eyes as he breathed in deeply through his nose. When he exhaled through his mouth, he opened his eyes slowly, revealing clear cerulean eyes that rivaled the skies above. From the corner of his eyes, he saw a slight movement, interrupting his mediation.

"Oh. Mornin', Sasuke," He mumbled with a smile and a wave. "Sorry. I kinda went through your closet," He gestured to his outfit – an orange tshirt and a pair of gray sweats. "These are _really_ comfortable!" The blond exclaimed, tugging at the sweats. He could understand why Itachi and Sasuke wore them. "I'm kinda surprised that you actually had color in your wardrobe." Pointing at the shirt, Naruto looked up at Sasuke. A concerned expression crossed his features when he noticed that the raven hadn't said anything and was staring at him with a blank expression. "Sasuke?" He waved a honey colored hand, "Are you ok–mmph–" Blood rushed to his lips as he felt something soft and moist press against them. His hand was grasped tightly in Sasuke's slightly moist and cold one. Wrapped around the back of his neck was Sasuke's other hand, gentle and guiding. His blue eyes wide, Naruto remained motionless in shock, still not understanding the situation. _Sasuke is…kissing me…? _Standing still for a few seconds, he felt his lungs burn for air as he began to struggle back. This only resulted in Sasuke's grip tightening and his lips pressing harder. "S'uke!...Can't…bre..athe!" He managed to struggle past their crushed lips.

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock when he finally realized what he was doing. He pushed himself off of the blond and brought a hand to his mouth. Panting, the raven faced Naruto with a flushed face. "S-Sorry." He muttered. What else could he have said in a situation like that? 'You just looked so beautiful that I had to hold you?' 'You looked like a fucking angel?' 'I want to kiss you again?' No. Sasuke's onyx eyes avoided meeting blue. He looked to the side and straightened himself. "Sorry," He repeated. "I just–…I-I must still be tired." He explained as he ran a hand down his face. "Sorry."

The blond stared at Sasuke, concern crossing his features. "It's okay…" He said warily. In an attempt to change the subject, Naruto spoke up cheerily. "You want pancakes for breakfast?"

In the kitchen, Sasuke sat at the breakfast counter, his feet dangling off the high stool. Onyx eyes watched with curiosity as the blond tossed a perfectly round crêpe up in the air, only to catch it again with the frying pan. "I thought you said you were making pancakes."

"I was…" the blond began, tossing another crêpe in the air, "…until you said you didn't know what a crêpe was." He finished as it landed in the pan. "Sweet or savory?"

"What?" the raven asked dumbly.

"Do you want a sweet crêpe, or a savory crêpe?" The blond asked, a little impatient.

Sasuke pondered for a moment, "…Savory."

Nodding, Naruto added the necessary ingredients for a savory crêpe – cheese, spinach, extra tomatoes, and ham – before folding it into a triangle shape and plopping the plate in front of Sasuke. "Bon appétit." He said with a wink. He then proceeded to make himself a sweet crêpe, with generous amounts of whipped crème, nutella, strawberries, and bananas.

Looking down at his plate, Sasuke carefully cut off a corner of the crêpe and tasted his first bite. Followed by a second, and a third, until it was all gone. It was, to say the least, one of the best breakfasts he'd had in a very long time. Not that he had breakfast often enough.

"How was it?" Naruto asked curiously.

Sasuke wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Way better than pancakes," he answered with a smile.

Naruto grinned foxily as if to say 'I-told-you-so.' "Do you want to try a sweet one?"

Sasuke glanced at the blond. He was about to decline, until an idea popped into his mind. "Come closer," He ordered to the blond across the breakfast counter from him.

Tilting his head curiously, Naruto leaned closer, a forkful of the crêpe in his hand. Sasuke reached across the table and wrapped a hand behind the blond's neck, pulling him closer to his face. Naruto could feel his face flushing red as he remembered the morning's incident. "Wha-what are you doi–" He paused midsentence when he felt something wet press against the corner of his lips.

"Hn. Too sweet." The raven replied as he pulled away, the taste of the crème still on his tongue.

Naruto blinked in shock, bringing a hand up to the corner of his lips. "T-teme! You bastard! You really need to stop doing that!" He shouted at the raven.

Sasuke shrugged, not knowing why he had done that in the first place. His urges were getting harder to control. "Hn. It was just a joke. Calm down, dobe."

Naruto let out a huff, "If you weren't my friend, I'd have punched you by now. Many times."

"Hn." The raven smirked. _'Friend,' huh? It doesn't sound too bad when he says it to me._ The raven thought contemplatively. But perhaps his heart wanted something more…?

* * *

"Your house is a fucking monstrosity," Naruto exclaimed as he made himself comfortable in the theatre room. "I don't remember that room with the indoor half basketball court being there. Or the tennis court in your backyard."

"Hn. My father added it a couple years ago when he thought about exercising. Never really worked out." The raven replied with a smirk.

The two had spent half their day playing basketball, tennis, and video games. They would've swam in the Uchiha's overly luxurious pool had it not been fall. Now they were settled in the cozy theatre room, previews of some thriller movie playing. Sasuke sat with an arm thrown over the back of the couch and the other on the armrest. Naruto laid his head down on Sasuke's lap, his legs stretched across the other half of the couch, feet crossed at the ankles.

Halfway through the movie, Sasuke could feel the steady breaths of the blond below him. Radiant blue eyes were concealed beneath shut eyelids. Long, blond eyelashes kissed the tanned cheeks as his eyes remained shut. "Dobe," Sasuke whispered. A pale hand reached for the whiskered cheeks. Holding his breath, Sasuke did what he had been wanting to do since the last day he saw Naruto years ago. A pale finger traced along a faint scar, followed by another. It felt warm and slightly rough against his fingertip Trailing his fingers softly against the honey skin, Sasuke stopped at the plump and parted lips. He trailed his index finger across the soft bottom lip.

"That tickles," The lips moved.

Sasuke held his breath. "You should be sleeping," he whispered. He kept his finger on the silk-like lip.

"I was." Naruto slowly opened his eyes, revealing ocean blue that locked with midnight black. He grabbed Sasuke's hand from his lip. With the other hand, he wrapped it around Sasuke's neck and pulled him close. "I'm just teasing you," he began while pulling Sasuke even closer until their breaths mixed, "Because you're my _friend_." With those final words, he closed the gap between them and captured Sasuke's pale mouth. The two moved in gentle and unrestrained curiosity. The sensual kiss soon turned into a desperate cry for closeness. Pale and tan fingers entangled with everything – skin, hair, each other – as if to make sure they still existed. No matter what they did, it just _wasn't close enough_. The distance of seven years still lingered between them as they kissed. And kissed. And kissed. Long after the sun disappeared.

_Because you're my friend._ The thought replayed itself over and over in Sasuke's mind as he desperately captured the blond's lip again after taking a quick breath. Never before has the word stung him as much as it did then. _I don't want to be your friend. Not if it hurts like this._

* * *

**Sunday**

Naruto flinched as another cup fell to the floor with a thundering crash. He let out a sigh as he went to go fetch the broom and dust pan. When he turned around, he let out an 'oomph' as he bumped into the manager. _Crap._ "Sorry, sir." He mumbled as he glanced to the side.

The gruff man sighed, "Naruto, maybe you should go home for today. I know you're covering for a friend, but you can go ahead and go. You're one of my best part-timers, and I hate to see you like this, but your heart's just not in it today. Come back when you settle down, alright?" The rotund man patted Naruto's head understandingly. "Good work today."

"Thank you, sir." Naruto replied dejectedly as he sweeped the remnants of the broken cup and emptied the dust pan in a nearby trash can. He walked to the break room to change out of his work clothes, sighing when he saw his tired expression in the mirror. Bringing a hand up to his lips, he let out a quiet whisper, "Sasuke." _I want to be with you._

* * *

Sasuke blinked boredly as he sat at the crowded round table, staring at his father on stage. Company members around the banquet hall clapped with exerburance as Fugaku gave a small bow and shook hands with various people. Sighing, Sasuke stabbed what was supposed to be a napoleon on his plate. _Naruto's tastes so much better._ He thought as he brought a finger up to his lips. His face flustered as he thought about the dobe. Seeing as how the clapping and cheering had settled down and the speeches had stopped, Sasuke figured that it was an appropriate time to excuse himself from the table. He bowed to some prestigious members of the table and headed across the hall to an open balcony. He leaned against the railing, sighing quietly and running a hand through his hair. The crisp autumn air removed any bit of flush from his face. Looking into the distance of the Konoha skyline, he allowed his thoughts to wander. "Naruto," he whispered. _What are you to me?_ Just a few days ago, he couldn't even bear to look at the blond. _But now_…he brought his fingers up to his lips. Now he wanted nothing more than to press his own lips against the soft, plump ones. Even if their kisses meant nothing but broken promises of friendship.

"Woman troubles?" A velvet voice asked from behind him. Neji approached beside the raven and leaned against the railing.

"Hn," Sasuke smirked. "Something like that."

Neji stared at Sasuke in slight shock. He hadn't expected the raven to respond without a sneer or something cynical. He also couldn't fathom the fact that Sasuke was even romantically or sexually involved with anyone. The prodigy had always figured the raven was asexual. "…I see," was all that he could offer to the conversation.

Sasuke rested his chin in his palm. _Naruto, I want to be with you._

* * *

**Monday**

Both Naruto and Sasuke woke up before their alarm clocks could ring. As the two went about their morning routines, each thought to themselves – _Today, I get to see him._

Kakashi sighed for the umpteenth time that hour. He couldn't _not_ notice the way Naruto and Sasuke teased, or in his opinion – flirted, with each other. Naruto would tap Sasuke on the shoulder annoyingly, who would then turn around with an impatient look on his face. Then Naruto would ask a question regarding the homework while Sasuke called him a 'dobe' and explained to him the answer. Then, as if hell hadn't frozen over already, Sasuke would smile. He would fucking _smile_ when the blond grinned stupidly if he got an answer correct. Kakashi wanted to puke. It was just too fucking, _pink._ His masked lip curled in disgust, thinking that he could literally see the hearts, butterflies, and rainbows around the two. His plan had worked far too well. _Can you two be any more obvious?_ He thought in irritation. In his mind, the only people who could get away with public flirting was himself and Iruka. _Speaking of Iruka…_The silver haired teacher thought as he sat down in his chair. He pulled out his orange book of questionable content, flipped to his bookmarked page, and smiled in ecstacy. _Ah, yes. My dear Iruka._ Kakashi thought lovingly as he ogled at the picture of his lover that he used as a bookmark while reading his perverted books. Oh, the things that would happen if Iruka found out.

* * *

Walking up the stairs to his next period, Sasuke paused when he heard a familiar sunshine voice. _Naruto._ He thought immediately, he thought about approaching the blond, but stopped himself as he listened to parts of the conversation.

"…suke's been tutoring you?" A loud voice inquired. Sasuke assumed it belonged to the dog-like friend of his. Sasuke never liked him.

"Yeah, he's a real prick, you know? I can hardly ask a question without being called 'dobe' or 'stupid!'" Naruto's voice said with complaint.

"Troublesome…" A lazy voice added.

_I'm not _that_ bad! _Sasuke thought defensively as he shrunk back into the shadows of the lower staircase.

"That sucks! How long do you have to go through with it?" Kiba asked.

"I don't know…but I'm so tired of it…"

Sasuke stormed downstairs before he could hear the rest of it. _He's tired of it? Tired of what? Tired of… _he swallowed, not wanting to finish his thought _...Tired of me? Fuck!_ Sasuke slammed a fist in a nearby locker, earning a wary glare from the few students still lingering in the hall. "Shit…" He muttered, his insides feeling as though they were being ripped to shreds.

* * *

"Shit!" Naruto mumured to himself as he jogged to the nearest metro station. "Why didn't he fucking wait for me?" For the rest of the day, Sasuke had avoided Naruto, going as far as to skip English class and go home first. He continued internal fuming rant as he took the metro to Sasuke's house. _Maybe something came up. He probably had something important to do at home. Something like…_ Naruto cursed under his breath again when he couldn't think of anything. In any case, he was expecting a damn good answer from the raven.

Upon arriving at the Uchiha estate, Naruto nearly sprinted up the driveway, ringing the doorbell impatiently. When the door flung open, revealing an irritated Itachi, Naruto muttered a "Sorry" as he pushed himself through the door.

"Hold it, blondie." Itachi put a hand on the blond's shoulder.

"What?" Naruto asked, trying his hardest not to sound impatient.

Itachi let out a sigh, removing his glasses and pressing his thumb and index finger against his eyes.

"What? What is it?" Naruto asked again, irritation clearly in his voice.

"He doesn't want you here. He told me not to let you in." Itachi replied. On any other day, Itachi would've let Naruto in just to torture Sasuke. But today, Itachi knew from the silent plea of desperation in his little brother's eyes that today was _not_ the day for teasing. "Sorry, Naruto. Just give him time to cool off."

Naruto froze in shock. _Why? WHY? What did I do this time? I've been trying my hardest!_

Itachi waved a hand in front of the blond's face, "Naruto? You okay?"

"Huh? Oh…" blue eyes blinked dazedly, "Yeah…But…" Naruto looked up at Itachi with determination, "Sorry, Itachi, but I still need to talk to him." The blond shoved his way past the older Uchiha and made his way up the stairs to Sasuke's bedroom door. He'd gotten way too far to let something he didn't even understand screw it all up. Turning the doorknob, he growled when he realized it was locked. "Dammit, teme! Open the door! What the hell is your problem today?" He knocked on the door relentlessly, sending out curses to the raven on the other side. "Teme! You had better open this door in five seconds or I'm going to–" He nearly stumbled inside when the door flung open.

"Or you're going to what?" The raven asked coldly, an impassive expression on his face.

"…kick your ass," The blond continued as he shoved the Uchiha inside. "Why the hell did you avoid me today? You even left me!"

Sasuke smirked. It wasn't the same teasing smirk he had shown the blond before. It was a cold-hearted and hateful sneer. "If you're so tired of it, then we'll just stop. I'll get out of your life, and you get out of mine. Got it?"

Naruto furrowed his brows in confusion. He began, "What are you talking ab–" halting midway when realization dawned on him. "You heard that?"

Sasuke's expression turned even colder, "Loud and clear." He responded. His chest throbbed when the blond sat there dumbstruck, not bothering to even make up an excuse. "So, now that it's settled, we can stop here." Sasuke grabbed the blond by the forearm, literally dragging him across the room to the door.

"No, wait, Sasuke," Naruto struggled, pulling away from the painful grip. "You didn't hear–"

"Oh, I heard just fine, Naruto." Sasuke ended with finality as he shoved the blond out of the room and shut the door in his face.

"Sasuke!" Naruto protested. He let out a feeble groan as he tugged his blond strands in frustration. _God, can we ever go through three days without fighting?_

"Come on, Naruto," Itachi said softly, placing a gentle hand on the blond's shoulder. "Just give him some time."

"Time? TIME? And how long is it going to be this time? 3 days? 3 weeks before he actually talks to me again? Fuck…" Naruto shouted back, fisting his gold locks between his fingers.

Itachi, not knowing the full story, could not give the blond any other response except for an expression akin to sympathy and pity.

On the other side of the door, Sasuke slid down against the wall, his hands buried in the tresses of his hair.

* * *

**Tuesday**

Kakashi sighed for the umpteenth time that hour. _Another lover's spat?_ He thought to himself as Naruto stared out the window dejectedly and Sasuke glared hatefully at the chalkboard. Kakashi was pulled out of his thoughts as a student office aide cleared her throat. "Ah, yes. How can I help you?" The chemistry teacher asked as the girl handed him a green pass. "Thank you." He took the sheet and nodded to her as she left. "Oh-hoh?" The teacher lifted a silver eyebrow as he read the slip. The students held their breaths, hoping that their names would be called so that they could leave class. "Uzumaki Naruto. Principal Tsunade beckons you," The teacher called ominously.

Naruto glanced up at his teacher, nodding as he stood up and walked out the door, taking the green pass on the way out. He pretended that he couldn't feel the onyx eyes trailing after his every movement.

"Now, moving on class…" The professor continued in a drone.

* * *

Arriving at the principal's office, Naruto knocked twice before letting himself in. "Hello," he greeted the lady kindly, hoping that it may decrease the chances of any awaiting punishment.

"Ah, Naruto. Sit." She ordered, pushing her glasses up her nose. Placing her elbows on the table, she rested her chin on her laced fingers. "Now, Naruto, I realize that October the tenth is just around the corner, yes?"

Naruto shifted in his seat, his eyes glancing around the room nervously. "Indeed it is, ma'am."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the boy's polite tone. He was never this reserved when she visited his home for enrollment processes. "And how old will you be turning, Naruto?"

"Seventeen," He responded blandly.

"I see," Tsunade wrote something down on a notepad, as if his age was a clue in something bigger. "Now, from your attendance records, I have been notified by a certain home tutor that you often like to skip lessons around this time of year, is that right?"

Naruto gulped audibly. _Damn you, Ebisu. You closet pervert._ "Uh…"

"Is that right, Naruto?" The blond principal repeated, a little more sternly. She hadn't meant to scare the boy, as he was one of her favorites, but she wanted answers.

Naruto nodded once, slowly.

Tsunade let out a sigh. "I know that it's your birthday, and you're free to celebrate however you like, within the legal boundaries, of course. However, skipping three to four days of school for it is just ridiculous, Naruto! Your attendance records state that you have been doing this since the sixth grade. Sixth grade! What in heaven's name have you been doing? Partying your ass off? I realize that your father is completely unaware of this, seeing as he is so busy. At this rate I'll have to be the one to–" She asked with unrestrained concern.

"Don't tell my father!" Naruto blurted out with a shaking voice. He had flinched slightly when the principal had mentioned him.

Tsunade glanced up at the blond sitting in front of her, desperation clearly in his eyes. She knew that he hadn't been doing anything ridiculous, but she was genuinely concerned. "Then what, pray tell, have you been doing?" She asked softly, gently.

Naruto inhaled deeply, "Every year, around my birthday, I–"

"Sasuke, what are you doing?" A velvet voice asked from behind.

Sasuke stiffened as he turned around in a panic, "Fucking hell, Neji! What the shit!"

Neji raised a delicate brow, "Eavesdropp–mpfh!"

The raven shushed the prodigy with a hand over the mouth. "No! Of course I'm not eavesdropping!" The raven defended in a hushed whisper. He realized how incredibly stupid he sounded when he was clearly leaning against the principal's door, ear pressed against the wood. "Okay, maybe a little, but I have a reason to be here." The raven waved a folded yellow pass in his hand. A few minutes after Naruto had left, Sasuke had once again began zoning out when Kakashi had called on him to deliver a teacher's note to the principal's office. At first he was going to refuse, but curiosity had gotten the better of him.

Neji plucked the yellow note from the raven's hand, ignoring the 'asshole' comment he received from him. "It says 'Has your curiosity been sated?'" The genius read aloud.

Sasuke looked at him in confusion. "What? What are you talking about? Let me see," He snatched the yellow paper away and quickly skimmed the sheet. Indeed it did have it written across in red pen. A mischievous and eyepatched smiley face adorned the corner of the page. "Damn you, Kakashi," He cursed under his breath and stomped away.

Neji, still watching the raven's reaction, rolled his eyes as he stormed down the hall.

* * *

During lunch, Sasuke stood on the roof, leaning against the wire fence, and sipped at his tomato juice. _Every year, around my birthday, I–_ Sasuke replayed in his mind. The raven knew that the blond wouldn't do anything stupid. And by the sound of his voice, Sasuke couldn't help but feel curious at the seriousness of all of it. He stared dazedly at the sky, hardly noticing when another boy had approached him.

"Ahem," the dark haired boy interrupted, mumbling something along the lines of 'troublesome' under his breath.

Sasuke glanced at him, frowning when he noticed that the boy had been with Naruto during the time of the conversation yesterday. "What?"

"So have you two made up yet?" Shikamaru inquired.

"Who?" Sasuke asked in a roundabout manner.

Shikamaru sighed, realizing that this would be more troublesome than he had initially thought. "You and the blond idiot."

Sasuke frowned. He didn't like it when someone other than himself referred to the blond as something not so smart when he was perfectly brilliant. "I'm guessing he already told you?"

The lazy genius shrugged, smirking when he received the reaction he had anticipated from the raven. "Why don't you just forgive him already? It's a rather troublesome thing to get mad over, isn't it?"

The raven growled lowly, "Why should I forgive him? It's his own damn fault! I have every right to be mad over something as 'troublesome' as this!"

"I see."

"I've been so patient with him and the best I get is 'I'm tired of it?' What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Sasuke threw his arms up in frustration as he began pacing along the wire fence.

"Right, right."

"And as if that's not enough, he shows up at my house at eleven fucking o'clock at night completely unguarded! Do you know how 'troubled' _I_ feel to see him like that?" _So damn irresistble in _my_ clothes…_

"Uh-huh…"

"I guess I'm– I suppose whatever I do just won't be…enough." Sasuke's rant slowed as realization dawned on him. _Shit…_ "He didn't tell you anything, did he?"

Shikamaru chuckled, "Damn, you catch on pretty quick. I was hoping to get a bit more information, but I suppose this is good enough."

Sasuke flushed red with embarrassment and anger. "Shit…"

"Anyway, I guess I could at least give you a quick tidbit." The genius added lazily.

Sasuke's ears perked up in curiosity, "What?"

"Naruto, you see, wasn't referring to your teaching methods or even _you_ for that matter, when he said he was 'tired of it.'" The genius looked up at the skies above him, breathing out a cloud of air.

Sasuke waited with baited breath for him to continue, wanting to shake the answer out of the boy.

"I suppose that before you began listening to our conversation," he paused disapprovingly, "he had told us something along the lines of 'I have to study three lessons ahead in English just so I can keep up with his pace of learning and teach him something new.' And then he proceeded to praise you for 'being a really good tutor and friend' and that he wished he could 'do something more' for you." Shikamaru lazily moved his fingers in air quotations as he explained.

Lowering his head, Sasuke could hardly give any other answer except a feeble "Oh."

"And by the by, Naruto probably won't be at school tomorrow. He might not be back in town until next week, so if you're going to make up, do it today. I don't want you making him feel like shit anymore." Shikamaru added somewhat sternly.

"Where is he going?" Sasuke asked, already knowing that the blond would be gone for a while.

Shikamaru smirked. "Ask him yourself," he responded with a shrug as he walked back into the building, shivering lightly.

Still standing on the roof, Sasuke pondered as the school bell rang, marking the beginning of fifth period. Skipping a day or two wouldn't leave him too far behind.

* * *

Twenty minutes into fifth hour, Naruto sat squirming in his seat. They were ten minutes into the child development movie in his Adv Physiology class and he was getting incredibly queasy. He laid his head down onto the cool desk, breathing shallowly. In a scene where a mother cuddled her wailing newborn baby, Naruto could feel his stomach lurch as a vision of red hair flash across his mind. _Fuck…_ He stood up and walked up to the teacher's desk. He was the kind of man who liked to scrape flesh off of cat bones in his free time and kept litters of unborn baby kittens in glass jars.

"Can I help you?" The pale man asked, almost in a hiss.

"I…bathroom…sick," Naruto mumbled, his vision blurring. All he could hear was the sound of the baby in the video wailing and wailing and wailing until it was just a deafening roar in his ears. He saw the teacher's lips moving, but he couldn't hear them, so he just grabbed the pass and rushed out of the room. In the boys' restroom, Naruto vomited the remnants of what used to be his lunch. He kept gagging until nothing but clear liquid came out. Flushing the toilet, he left the stall and turned on the sink faucet. After rinsing his mouth and washing his hands, Naruto spashed cool water onto his face and shut off the water. He stared blankly at his reflection. His blue eyes were dull, lifeless. His once honey toned complexion was nearly as pale as his physiology teacher's. Droopy locks of wet, gold hair clung to the sides of his face. The sound of the baby's wail still rang in his ears. Trudging out of the bathroom, Naruto walked blindly down the hall, his hand trailing against the wall for balance. His legs felt like rubber. He kept walking, without a destination, until his eyes landed on a pair of shoes that he recognized. Trailing his eyes up the body, Naruto smiled at the person before him. Everything was silent now. No more babies crying. No more mothers cooing. No more visions of red. "Hey, S'uke. Skipping class too?" He slurred.

Sasuke stared at the nearly lifeless blond stumbling before him. His brows furrowed in concern, "Are you alright?"

Naruto grinned, happy that the raven was talking to him again. "I'm feeling…fine. But could you _please_ stop moving around so much?" He pleaded.

"I'm…not moving, dobe," The raven responded with clear worry.

"Sure you're not," the blond staggered even closer to the raven. He straightened himself up before lowering his forehead to rest on Sasuke's shoulder. "That's much better…" He mumbled as his body went limp.

"Hey! Dobe!" Sasuke shouted as he held the limp body in his arms. He shook the blond a few times and slapped the whiskered cheeks. When he received no response he muttered a curse under his breath as he pulled the blond's arms over his shoulders and picked up his legs, cradling the blond in his arms. "Fuck, dobe! Can you not even tell when you're sick?" He hissed, rushing to the infirmary.

"It's just nausea and a fever," The dark haired nurse assured. "It's probably from stress. He'll be fine in no time." She stood up from her chair and brushed the wrinkles from her clothes. "I have to report to Principal Tsunade's room now, so just watch over him for now. I'll lock the door. If he wakes up, he'll probably be dehydrated from vomiting so give him lots of fluids." Shizune directed as she grabbed her room keys and exited the infirmary.

_It's _probably_ from stress? He'll _probably _be dehydrated? Is there no fucking certainty? _Sasuke worried as he gripped the clammy tan hand tighter. When Naruto let out a pitiful whimper, the raven ruffled the blond locks unhesitatingly, whispering soft shushes and comforts.

"Hmnn…S'uke?" Naruto mumbled as a cerulean eye peeked open. _Just a dream. _He smiled softly. "Sorry for hurting you. I didn't mean it…Sorry for causing trouble too. I'll try to be more responsible," The blond breathed tiredly, "And I'm sorry…for not telling you."

"Telling me what?" Sasuke questioned.

Nothing but steady breaths could be heard from the blond for a few moments. "…So don't leave me, okay?" The blond muttered almost inaudibly as he drifted back to his world of dreams.

Sasuke blinked in confusion. "_You're_ the one who's going to leave _me_…right, dobe?" He voiced to the air, a sadness welling from within him.

About forty five minutes later, Naruto awoke with a jolt, feeling more or less delirious than he had before. "WHAT IS THE CHARGE OF PHOSPHATE?" He questioned loudly as he woke up.

"Negative three. Why do you ask?" Sasuke responded dryly.

Cerulean blue gazed into Sasuke's onyx ones, mirth hidden beneath them. Naruto felt a flush of red travel up to his cheeks. "Kakashi was harrassing me in my dreams," The blond replied with embarrassment.

Sasuke smiled, really smiled, as the blond sat up. "Here," he said, handing a glass of water to the ill boy.

In turn, Naruto blushed at Sasuke's charming smile and took the cup gratefully. He hadn't even realized that he was thirsty until the raven had offered him a drink. "Thanks."

"When you finish that, I'll take you home."

* * *

**Thursday**

Sasuke cursed as he stood in the morning cold, waiting for his train to arrive. Thanks to his car deciding to not start that morning, Sasuke was now ten minutes late for school. _And _he had to take the public transportation system. _Great. Just fucking dandy._ He scowled as puffs of white cold escaped his pale lips. Beside him, a drunk man wobbled across the platform, inching closer to the yellow line. The man glared at Sasuke, mumbling incoherent nonsense as he bumped into the raven. The smell of something rancid assaulted his nose. "Fuck," Sasuke muttered, stepping away from the drunkard. This was the reason why he hated the public transit system, no matter how energy conserving and convenient it may be.

Moving away from the platform, Sasuke glanced around boredly until a tuft of blond caught his eye. "Naruto?" He spoke aloud, his body moving toward the blond of its own accord. Stalking around the corner, he watched as the blond paused in front of a train before reluctantly getting on board. _Where's he going? That doesn't go anywhere near our school…_ Inching closer, he felt very much like a creeper. _Why should I even bother? It's not any of my business._ He scolded himself as he stood by the train Naruto had just gotten on.

A shrill ring burst from the overheard speakers, a female voice speaking with caution – 'The doors will now be closing. Please step behind the yellow line.' Before Sasuke could even think, his body moved on its own accord, running recklessly through the closing doors and onto Naruto's train. He stumbled to the side as the train jerked forward. _Shit…What am I doing? _He scolded himself ashe ran a pale hand through his dark hair. Glancing around, his eyes landed upon the dobe, who was helping an elderly woman with her luggage. Sasuke didn't fight the smile that creeped onto his face. The blond was angelic no matter where he went.

Grabbing a complimentary newspaper, Sasuke sat down a few rows behind the blond, shielding his face with the paper. So maybe he was being a bit of a creeper, but he had every right to be on the train, even if his ticket said otherwise. It wasn't until an hour into the trip that he started to feel uneasy. There were hardly any passengers on the train, save for an elderly couple and some honeymooners. He hadn't checked the other cabins, but he figured that they would be just as sparse. Another hour and three cups of coffee later, Sasuke was anxious. Looking out the window, the fall scenery zoomed past in blurred images. If he had to guess, the train was going about 210 km/h (130 mph), far faster than any of the more common transit systems, and it showed no signs of stopping any time soon. Looking around the cabin, he sought for clues as to where the train might be headed, but to no avail. "Well, fuck," He cursed under his breath. Giving up, he headed to the bathroom to splash his anxious face with cool water. He stared into the mirror at his face, more pale than it usually was. Three cups of coffee without food was starting to make him feel ill. He wiped is hands and face with a paper towel and pushed through the door, and into a soft body as well. "Sorry," He mumbled, not bothering to look at the other person.

"Sasuke?" A soft voice called.

The raven lifted his head until he was face to face with the blond. "N-Naruto." He replied dumbly.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, almost in an accusatory tone. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"I could ask you the same thing, dobe," the Uchiha shot back defensively.

The blond furrowed his brows and crossed his arms over his chest. "I have an excused absence from Principal Tsun–"

The sound of a clearing throat interrupted their conversation. The two boys looked up at an impatient man, each giving out apologetic pardons as they moved away from the bathroom. Naruto grabbed a pale wrist, dragging him across the aisle until they had reached Naruto's side of the cabin. He shoved the raven in the seat across from before plopping himself down as well. "Explain," He demanded.

Sasuke growled at the rough treatment. "I'm going on a joyride," he lied carelessly.

"I doubt that. This is a six hour bullet train ride with only two stops. There won't be bullet train home for another three days." The blond countered in monotone.

Pale lips formed an O shape, seeming to express his thoughts. _Oh shit._

"Were you stalking me?" Naruto asked irritably.

Onyx eyes widened in shock, "No!" Sasuke exclaimed louder than he had meant to. "Of course not! That's ridiculous!"

Cerulean eyes narrowed unforgivingly, "Don't lie."

Sasuke shifted in his seat, figeting like a child being reprimanded. "Okay, yes I was. But I hadn't meant to." He admitted in a low voice. "I just heard Tsunade scolding you for skipping–"

"What the hell, Sasuke!" Naruto hissed, feeling somewhat violated. "You were stalking _and_ eavesdropping on me?"

The raven flinched slightly at the blond's tone. The attitude wasn't like him at all. "What's your problem, dobe? It's not a big deal! It's not like you to get all pissy about something like this!"

Naruto froze, his features softening. Sasuke was right. He was just feeling tense and taking it out on the Uchiha. Raising a tan hand, he waved apologetically at the raven. "You're right…Sorry. I'm just feeling anxious." He shut his blue eyes and ran a hand through his blond locks frustratingly. "Sorry," he repeated.

Sasuke shook his head, "Me…too," he added reluctantly. A comfortable silence settled between them, each looking out the window. In the reflection, Sasuke could see the troubled look in Naruto's cerulean eyes as they stared into the distance, his expression almost like that of a lost child. Outside, pastures and mountains stretched for miles as the bullet train whipped past them. "Where are we going?" Sasuke asked curiously.

Naruto stiffened a bit, his eyes turning expressionless. Blinking, a flurry of emotions flashed in his orbs as he answered, "Uzushiogakure."

* * *

A few hours later, Naruto kicked the raven sitting across from him. "S'uke, wake up," he mumbled groggily.

The raven let out a groan, rubbing his eyes childishly. "Are we there yet?"

"Just about," Naruto replied, pressing his face against the window. "Look, Sasuke."

Sasuke tilted his head to the side, gasping as all signs of sleep disappeared from his system. Outside of the window was the second most breathtaking view he had ever seen, the first being Naruto outside his balcony early morning. All he could see was rich hues of blue. The entire window was painted in shades of cerulean and aqua that rivaled that of Naruto's own orbs. The horizon between the sea and the sky seemed to melt together as they floated, no, _soared_ across the ocean.

"This was my home," Naruto began as the bullet train slowed toward the island. "I want to show it to you."

* * *

Disembarking the train, the smell of sea salt tickled Sasuke's nose. A cool ocean breeze rustled his dark locks as they made their way toward the lower platform.

"Naruto!" A boyish voice called in the distance, a long blue scarf trailing behind him as he ran towards them. Sasuke turned his attention to the boy, who was no more than twelve years of age.

"Hey, Konohamaru! You didn't have to come pick me up. I was going to go see you anyway." Naruto patted the boy's head.

Konohamaru grinned impishly. "I wanted to surprise you. Grandpa is waiting back at home." The boy peered around the blond, staring at the raven suspiciously. "Who's that?" He asked, pointing his finger at Sasuke.

"He's my friend, Sasuke. He stalked me here and now he can't go home until Saturday," Naruto explained with a shrug. "Do you think your house has room for the both of us?"

The younger boy continued to eye the raven, who in turn returned the stare with a trademark Uchiha glare. "Maybe." He answered vaguely.

* * *

When they had arrived at the spacious house, Naruto greeted an elderly man with a bow and handshake. The old man hobbled slightly as he led them into the living room. "You've grown up well, Naruto," He complimented.

"Thanks, gramps," Naruto grinned sheepishly. "This is Sasuke, by the way," He introduced as he gestured to the raven. "Is it alright if he stays for a while?"

Sarutobi eyed Sasuke with gentle eyes, wrinkles creasing the corner of his lips. "Any friend of yours is welcome here, Naruto. I had actually prepared a feast for your arrival tonight, so the more people, the merrier." The old grandfather released a hacking cough that shook the frame of his frail body.

Naruto's blue orbs softened as he placed a hand on the old man's back, rubbing comfortingly, "You didn't have to do that. You know your health isn't as good as it used to be, gramps." He teased.

"Ah, but I wanted to." Sarutobi offered, resting a tired hand on the blond's shoulder for balance. "And I don't want a lecture about my health coming from _you_, Naruto," He winked.

The blond returned his wink with a gentle smile.

* * *

The dinner was indeed a feast. Sasuke could hardly breathe as he climbed up the stairs behind the blond. "I'm dying," Clutching his full stomach, Sasuke groaned as the two entered what seemed to be a guest bedroom. The room, much like the rest of the house and the village, had a very antiquated feel. Every door slid open to the side, including the ceiling to floor windows. The floorplan of the room was four and a half tatami mats, leaving just enough room for two futons, one for each of them. Peeling off his clothes, save for his boxers, Sasuke crawled under the covers of one of the futons.

Naruto, on the other hand, slid open a window and leaned against the railing, breathing deeply. The smell of sea salt entered the room. In the distance, he could see a lighthouse shining against the dark waters. "Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"I'm glad you stalked me here."

"…Hn."

Shivering lightly, Naruto shut the window firmly, yanked the cord to the light off, and snuggled under his futon beside the raven, his eyes surrendering to sleep.

A few moments later, Sasuke turned on his side, facing the blond. "Dobe."

"…Yeah?" The blond asked, his eyes still shut. It wasn't until he felt something soft and moist press against his lips that he flickered his eyes open in surprise. A moment of silence passed by as the raven pulled his lips away. "What was that for?"

"No reason."

"Does it not bother you that we're both boys?" He asked, his voice trembling slightly. Naruto's cerulean eyes stared into orbs that seemed darker than the night itself.

"…" Sasuke hadn't thought about that. He hadn't thought about the stares he would receive or the shame he would bring to the Uchiha name. But honestly, Sasuke didn't care what other people thought. Being with the blond just felt so…right. So did it bother him? Yes, it did. But did it change the fact that he was undeniably attracted to the blond? No, it didn't. "I just want to be with you. That's all."

Not knowing what else to say to that, Naruto nodded, shut his eyes, and snuggled closer to the raven. He wrapped his arms around Sasuke's bare torso, relishing in the body warmth. "Kiss me."

_Hold me tighter. Until I break under your kisses._

* * *

**Thank you for reading.  
****-thinklove.**


	8. Last Arpeggios

Title: The World Exists For Just Us Two

Summary: "Love is so...difficult," Naruto often tells himself. Especially since the one he loves is Uchiha Sasuke. "I must not know what love is," Sasuke often tells himself. Especially when coming to terms with his feelings for Uzumaki Naruto. SasuNaru. AU.

Disclaimer: Naruto & Co. © Masashi Kishimoto

Warnings: Rated M

Last Arpeggios – bluedawn

* * *

**Chapter 7 – Last Arpeggios.**

**Friday**

The next morning, Sasuke awoke to the most annoying, the most irritating, and the most obnoxious alarm that had ever graced his ears. The wailing siren sound coming from Naruto's cell phone continued to rape his ears as he buried his head under his pillow. "Turn it off, dobe!" He shouted to the blond. After waiting for a few moments and receiving no answer, save for the continuous sound of the siren, the raven kicked his leg out to the futon beside him, finding it empty. He sat up groggily, glancing at his surroundings. Outside the window, the skies were still dark, a sliver of light peeking over the horizon. He turned his attention to the futon beside him, finding it cold and empty save for a pile of clothes and the cell phone that continued to wail relentlessly. Plastered to the screen of the phone was an orange sticky note, presumably from the blond. Sasuke picked up the phone, ripped the sticky note off, and immediately turned off the alarm, which read '6:33 AM'. "Hell…" he mumbled to himself as he read the note.

_Rise and shine, teme!_

_I'm in the garden in the backyard._

_Put some clothes on and meet me there!_

_Yours truly,_

_The Great Uzumaki Naruto._

Sasuke rolled his eyes as he dropped the note and picked up an article of clothing that was laid out for him, prepared for whatever stupidity the blond had for him. He was not, however, prepared for the vast garden to be the first of many hardships of that day. It was not so much a garden as it was a field of crops. And it was not so much a backyard as it was an acre of farmland. Sasuke groaned aloud as it finally dawned on him as to why the blond had awoken him before the sun even rose.

* * *

For the rest of the morning, and part of the afternoon, Sasuke had worked his body to the bone. If he was a spartan in studies, then Naruto was a spartan in working. They had spent most of their time harvesting vegetables for the Sarutobis, catching sweetfish in icy cold waters, and rethatching roofs for the approaching winter. He had never felt more like a good samaritan.

Sasuke's teeth chattered as he blew hot breath onto his numb fingers. "So why are we doing this again, dobe?" He muttered as they walked through the village toward the marketplace.

"I have errands to run, teme," Naruto answered as if it was common sense.

Sasuke waved a hand dismissively. "I know _that_, dobe, but why are we working until our fingers turn numb?"

"Well _my_ fingers are just fine. And if you don't work, then you don't eat. That's just the way it works around here."

The raven rolled his eyes. As tired as he was, he allowed himself to be engulfed by his surroundings. Walking through the town, Sasuke was amazed at the antiquated feel the small village held. The roofs of homes and stores were thatched and there were street vendors selling freshly picked vegetables. The voices of excited haggling and creaky rickshaws could be heard throughout the busy marketplace. It was as if the town had remained frozen in time and the only sign of technology was the bullet train that only came every three days.

Past the marketplace were the endless acres of farmland, hosting several different forms of agriculture. It was a sea of green, and beyond it was the ocean of blue. Sasuke took in the peaceful scenery as he followed the blond. Engulfed in the beauty of the landscape, he had hardly realized when the blond in front of him abruptly stopped in his tracks, nearly causing the raven's nose to crash into a head of gold.

"You can wait here," Naruto spoke softly, interrupting his thoughts.

Sasuke blinked in surprise as he directed his attention to what seemed to be a towering and elaborately designed gate. Beyond it was a mountainous set of stone stair steps. _A shrine? No, a temple?_ Sasuke thought as he stared beyond the intimidating gate at the equally intimidating but even larger pagoda settled behind a thicket of foliage. "What are we doing here, dobe?" He asked warily.

Naruto sighed, "Not 'we'. _I'm_ visiting someone. _You're_ going to wait here, or you can go back to the house. Your choice."

Onyx eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How about neither, and I go with you? After all, you've been dragging me around since this morning. I did _not_ walk half way across this island just for you to tell me to go back." Turning away, Sasuke took a step toward the stone stairs.

In a panic, a firm tan hand gripped onto the raven's forearm "It'd seriously be better if you _didn't_ go. The person I'm visiting…" He paused, racking through his mind for an excuse. "It would just be awkward if you came with me," the blond finished half-heartedly.

A smirk found its way onto pale lips. "I'm sure it won't be anymore awkward than me stalking you on a train," he shrugged as he walked past the blond and up a few stone steps.

Ocean blue eyes narrowed and darkened as they bore into the raven's back. Naruto trailed behind reluctantly. "Don't say I didn't warn you," he muttered under his breath.

A thirdway up the steps, Sasuke panted heavily as he grasped the hem of Naruto's coat. "Wait…just…give me…a…second," He gasped out, puffs of breath punctuating each word.

The blond turned his body to glance at the raven, his foot halfway up the next step. "Why? What's wrong?" He questioned nonchalantly.

Obsidian eyes glared daggars at the blond. "Tired," Sasuke complained as he plopped down on a step to catch his breath.

Naruto rolled his eyes as threw his hands up in the air, "Seriously? We're not even halfway there yet!" Still, he sat down next to the raven, his elbows on his knees with his chin cradled in his hands. Deep blue orbs stared blankly into the distance.

Sasuke swiped the back of his hand against his forehead, wiping away the forming beads of sweat and brushing aside the dark locks sticking to his face. From his peripheral vision, he glanced at the blond's distant expression. Following Naruto's gaze, Sasuke took in the magnificent view of the village from above. The landscape was like an image taken from a postcard. An ocean of blue in the background, a sea of golds, yellows, and reds from the autumn trees, and the bustling marketplace in the center of it all. Despite stalking the blond across the country to the godforsaken island and then having been worked to the bone, Sasuke had to admit, it was a great mini vacation. With a content sigh, the raven tilted his head sideways to face the blond. Gently, a pale hand reached toward a tan cheek, the fingertips brushing the whiskers softly.

Naruto started at the sudden warmth. "What?" He asked as he turned his attention to the raven.

A small smile appeared on soft lips. "Nothing. I'm just glad I followed you here," Sasuke replied, remembering last night's conversation. "It's nice here. Calm and peaceful."

The blond smiled softly, leaning his cheek into the warm hand and fluttering his cerulean orbs shut.

With a shiver, the raven let out a puff of air and retracted his hand from the blond's cheek. Naruto turned away with a pout from the sudden loss of warmth. Standing up, the two brushed off their clothes and began hiking up the steps again. Once or twice or three times, their hands shyly bumped into each other. Each time, one of the two would blush, create a distance, and then eventually be drawn back to the other again. By the third or fourth time, Sasuke's hand lingered close to the tan one before an index finger hooked onto the blond's thumb. Hesitatingly, the two hands entwined, fingers fitting perfectly within the spaces. "Your hand is cold," Sasuke stated blandly.

"Warm it for me," The blond stated just as dully, though a trace of pink remained on his cheeks.

Complying, the raven shoved their entwined fingers in his coat pocket, his left hand in the other. The two walked like this for the rest of the way. Both quiet. Both shy. Both content. Sasuke had to stop two more times along the way, embarrassed with himself as the blond didn't look the slightest bit tired. _I've got to start working out more._ He thought to himself as they reached the top.

The two continued walking along a brick path until they arrived at a small clearing of tombstones. Each stone had intricate carvings of kanji on them, surrounded by vases of flowers. Passing by the rows of family tombs, Sasuke felt a sudden panic within him. "Dobe," he began, "when you mentioned that you were visiting someone…"

"My mother."

"Oh." The raven replied dumbly. He hadn't been expecting that – something so personal. "You know, you could've just told me when we were at the bottom. I would've stayed, had I known."

Naruto let out a quiet sigh. "I warned you. Anyway, it'll just take a few minutes." They stopped at the farthest end of the clearing in front of an unmarked stone, far more worn down and weathered than the rest. Flowers adorned either side of it, left quite recently it seemed. For a few minutes, Naruto stood in silence, staring, or perhaps even glaring, dispassionately at the rock. Every year, he would do this – travel across the country, visit the Sarutobis, and come to his mother's grave. He never prayed. Never spoke to her. Never thought about her. He just stared. Occasionally he would rest his hand on the cold stone grave, but most of the time, his dulled cerulean eyes would stare blankly at the rock he considered as his mother.

Minutes that seemed like hours flew by as Sasuke stood observing his surroundings, pretending to be incredibly intrigued by a honeybee on one of the flowers. He shifted his weight on each leg and brushed away a few stray hairs, figeting as if he were meeting his future in-laws. After what seemed like an eternity, he cleared his throat, tightening his grip around Naruto's hand. "Do you…?" he mumbled.

Feeling the sudden squeeze, Naruto snapped out of his self-torturous daze and turned his head toward Sasuke. He had almost forgotten that his hand was still in the raven's pocket. "Did you say something?" He spoke, removing his entwined hand from Sasuke's coat pocket and putting it in his own.

The raven frowned at the blond's sudden distance. "Do you miss her? Your mother, that is." Sasuke asked gently. What was one to do during a moment like this? He was never good at comforting people. Did the blond even need comforting?

Naruto paused, tilted his head, and looked at something nonexistent in the air. Pondering for a moment, he answered. "You can't really miss something you never had."

"Oh," Sasuke replied dumbly again. He seemed to be doing that quite often.

The blond chewed on his bottom lip in thought before continuing, "I don't love her. But I don't hate her either. I'm thankful that she gave birth to me, but…I'm also a little mad that she died and left my father." It wasn't something that one would normally admit in front of the person's grave, but it was the truth. Naruto really didn't harbor any feelings for his mother. He didn't even know what she looked like. "When I told my father I wanted to keep my mother's last name, he punched me. Hard. And then he cried."

Obsidian eyes widened slightly. "Why?" He could picture the older blond smiling at his son at the café, but he couldn't imagine the gentle father even yelling at the boy, let alone punch him.

Naruto shrugged. "I don't really know. My father loved my mother so much, he can't stand being reminded that she's gone. That's why he works himself to the bone. To forget. I guess I'm not worthy enough to carry her name."

The raven frowned. "Naruto, that's not true. Your father loves you, and you know that. He may miss his wife, but you're alive and he cares about you." Sasuke didn't know why he was saying this. He didn't even know if it was true. Hell, the relationship between him and his own father was screwed up enough. What gave him the right to counsel the blond? Still, the raven felt the need to assure the dobe. To protect him.

The blond smiled, autumn wind ruffling his golden locks. "Yeah. I guess you're right. But still, if he found out I was visiting this place every year, he'd probably ground me on my birthday just to keep me from visiting her."

"Then why do you keep coming back?"

Naruto's somber smile disappeared, his eyes depthless and distant again. "So I don't forget." He paused. "It must've been hard for her. Apparently, she used to be some important person for the village – a priestess or head council or something. But then she met my dad, and they eloped. And look where that got her – dead with an unmarked grave in the corner of the cemetery. Forgotten." After a few more minutes of thick silence, the blond shut his eyes and bowed slightly. Sasuke did the same. The two walked away, still solemn. "Sorry you had to come here and listen to me ramble," Naruto apologized. He whispered a small 'thank you' as well, almost so inaudibly that the raven had to strain to hear it.

"It's fine," Sasuke replied. Having been separated from each other for so long, he was glad that could learn more about the blond, glad that they could be open with each other. Perhaps, this could close the seven year distance between them just a little bit more. "It's fine," the raven repeated.

With a grin that showed much more of the blond's normal hyper characteristics, Naruto shoved his hand back into the raven's coat pocket, lacing their fingers once again. "I guess you're not so much of a bastard after all, teme," he joked.

Sasuke merely smirked, inwardly grateful that the tension was easing away as they left through the towering gate. "I'm glad that you're finally realizing my greatness, dobe," they descended the stairs at a much faster pace than when they had ascended.

The blond 'hmphed' childishly, "You're as humble as ever," his lips protruded in an adorable pout as an idea came to his mind. "As a thanks for accompanying me, I'll take you to the beach tonight! The sunrises are the best here!" The dobe exclaimed excitedly.

The raven scoffed at the idea. "It's the middle of fall. We'd freeze our asses off."

Naruto's pout became even more pronounced, and Sasuke almost stopped to kiss the plump lips. Almost. "But it's exactly because it's the middle of fall that we should go. That's when all the smells are the best!"

"The smells?" Sasuke questioned, unconsciously breathing in the smell of sea salt in the ocean air.

"Yeah. The smell of autumn and the ocean. If you're lucky you might be able to smell half!"

Now, the raven was lost. His dark brows furrowed. "…Half? Half of what?" Were they still talking about the same thing?

"Half! Half of fall and half of winter. I guess you'd have to smell it to know it."

"…Right." The raven responded half-heartedly. The absurdity of it all made him want to scoff, but he refrained, lest he ruin the dobe's excitement. As they reached the bottom of the steps, Naruto continued his babble about smells and halfs and perhaps even three-quarters. Giving the blond's hand a light squeeze, Sasuke smiled softly. He leaned his face toward the blond, interrupting his rant with a whisper, "We should go then," a light peck on pink lips, "To the beach." Pulling away, the raven watched as a rose color appeared over tanned cheeks, a content smirk on his features.

Frozen in place, Naruto stared blankly at the raven, face flushed with embarrassment. He snapped out of his stupor quickly though, realizing the effects the Uchiha had on him. "Teme," he muttered under his breath before giving the pale hand a hard squeeze. He stomped his way toward the the marketplace, nearly dragging the content and smirking raven along with him. "We'll go tonight. We're making dinner for gramps and the brat first."

Sasuke's lips pressed in a thin line, "Dinner? I thought you only knew how to make dessert." After a thought, he added "And ramen."

Naruto let out a deep chuckle. "My father leaves for weeks at a time," he said somewhat bitterly. "Of course I had to learn how to cook for myself, and I'm pretty damn good at it too! I just didn't want him to know because then he'd make me cook meals for him. Next thing you know I'll be washing the dishes and cleaning the house!"

A dark brow rose, "Don't you already do that?"

The blond shrugged, marking the end of the conversation. "Let's go get some meat." He changed the subject as they aproached a food stall.

"And tomatoes." Sasuke replied. He smirked at the blond's sour expression. "Tomatoes." He emphasized again. "It's good for the elderly."

Defeated, Naruto sighed. "Alright, alright. Geez, you and your damn tomatoes." He mumbled, removing his hand from the warmth of Sasuke's pocket.

Inside one of the food stalls, he picked up and inspected some form of leafy green, turning it over in his hands before tossing it into a clear plastic bag. Shifting toward a crate of herbs, the blond reached for a bundle. "Are you okay with mint leaves? Gramps likes them, but the kid tends to throw them on my plate. I could–"

**SPLAT.**

A tickling trickle of liquid slid down the nape of his neck. Lifting a free hand to his head, he ran his fingers through his golden locks slowly. He pulled away thick globs of red fruit, dripping red like diluted blood. Tomatoes. "Teme!" Naruto snarled as he whirled around, anger flashing in his eyes.

Blue orbs met with equally confused midnight black. Sasuke's expression showed clear confoundment. He would've laughed – almost did in fact – if he wasn't so confused. The raven lifted his hands up, palms outward, to his chest in a gesture of innocent surrender. "It wasn't me!"

**SPLAT.**

This time the red fruit landed squarely on Naruto's left shoulder, liquid splattering onto his cheek. The blond dropped his bag of items in surprise. Sasuke scowled, brushing off the flesh and pulling the blond closer to him.

"Get out," A wearied voice hissed. Both boys turned to face a weathered old lady, holding the offending fruit in hand. A crate full of rotten tomatoes, most likely from the spring harvest, sat by her foot. "Get out!" She shouted, throwing another tomato aimed at Naruto. This time, she missed as Sasuke tugged at the blond and pulled him to his chest. "We won't serve the likes of you!" She screeched. "Not you, or your father, or your damned mother in hell!" The old woman bent over her crate of tomatoes, grabbing another handful. "GET OUT NOW!"

Sasuke stepped in front of Naruto, prepared to shield the blond and to confront the old hag. "What the fu–"

"We'll leave!" The blond interrupted hastily, his body making no sudden movements.. The old woman froze and eyed the two boys, hand pulled back and ready to fire. "We're leaving! Sorry to bother you!" He grabbed the raven's arm, dragging him out of the food stand.

The Uchiha stammered confused nonsense as he was pulled along. Back on the main marketplace road, Sasuke jerked his arm away from the blond's grip. "What the hell just happened!" he exclaimed, arms spread wide in grandeur.

The blond avoided the obsidian gaze. He brought a hand up to the back of his neck, rubbing nervously. The remnants of the rotten tomatoes left a sticky residue on his skin. "Like I said. My mother was pretty famous and important around here." He stated as if it explained everything. At least in his mind it did.

Sasuke waited for the blond to continue. When he didn't, he growled, "Continue."

Chancing a glance at the raven, Naruto complied. "When my father came and whisked her away," he smiled sheepishly, "We became the town pariahs. My mother, my father, myself, and probably the rest of the Uzumaki-Namikaze generations to come."

Dark brows furrowed partially in confusion and partially in bewilderment. "That's…ridiculous." Sasuke stated blandly. "And you just _take it?_" he questioned incredulously.

Naruto pondered for a moment, "Well, yeah, basically. I'm used to it. I mean, I'm not going to fight a bunch of hobbling, old senior citizens with their walkers, canes, and wheelchairs, you know."

The raven scoffed, "They seem pretty fit to me. Either that old hag had perfect aim, or you must be bad at dodging." A pale hand lifted to swipe away a bit of tomato juice from the blond's shoulder. "But you know," he began gently, "you really are a dobe."

Grinning broadly, the blond laughed softly. "Yeah, I guess I am. Sorry I suspected you. I just thought you really wanted your stupid tomatoes."

A small but genuine smile graced the pale lips. "Not so much anymore," he replied as they walked along the road to find another food vendor. It was then that he finally noticed the stares and scowls from all the villagers. Before, he was either too engrossed in the setting or in Naruto to notice them. In return, the raven sent them all his withering trademark Uchiha glare. Almost immediately, they would turn away and go about their own business, shivering from the subarctic attitude. Sasuke smirked.

"Naruto!" A voice called from a distance. The two boys ganced up at the howl, Sasuke growling at the intrusion. The voice hollered again, more impatiently this time. From the shadows of a shack, another wrinkled elder raised her hand. Sasuke nearly shoved the blond behind him protectively.

"Granny Chiyo!" Naruto's honey sweet voice rang out. The blond lurched toward the dilapidated store, his arms outstretched for a welcoming embrace.

The tension left Sasuke's shoulders as trailed along after him. Approaching the stall, he peeked around the excited blond. Inside the open shack were crates and rows of fresh fish and other seafood. The strong odor assaulted his nose, nearly choking him. Turning his attention back to Naruto, he watched as the blond leaned over to give the elderly woman a hug.

**THWACK!**

"Oww!" he whined, holding his abused head in his hands tenderly and rubbing the pain away.

"You hopeless child!" The grandmother scolded, "Did you get yourself in trouble again?" She admonished, eyes squinting and nose crinkling from the stench of the tomatoes.

Naruto whimpered cutely, earning the stern woman's softer expression, though it was no softer than a bulldog's. "Heheh," the blond snickered sheepishly, "I fell?" he offered shyly.

"Like hell you did! I saw what happened!" she spat back. "Honestly now! I'm going to give that old hag a piece of my mind!" she exclaimed, rolling up her sleeves.

"Granny, it's alright! I'm fine!" Naruto appeased. "Really! I am!"

With a 'hmph,' the old lady retreated inside the shack, calling behind her. "I've got something for you. You wait right there, you hear?"

Naruto smiled and watched her retreating back. "That's Gaara's grandmother," he said softly to the raven.

Sasuke simply nodded and shivered slightly. "She's rather frightening," he responded.

The blond let out a sweet laugh, "I know, right? Even Gaara can't stand a chance against her."

The raven almost pouted as he listened to the dobe talk about the redhead. A surge of jealousy and posessiveness rumbled within him.

A few moments later, Grandmother Chiyo emerged from her shop, a brown bag in hand. "Here," she muttered, handing the blond the bag.

Naruto peeked inside, his expression softening. Inside were various herbs and vegetables. He figured that it was supposed to be for the grandmother's meal along with the fish she caught daily. "Granny, I can't–"

"You will."

"But–"

"You shut your mouth when you're talking to me, young man!" She commanded with a harmless scowl. Naruto did just that, his mouth clamping shut immediately. "Now," she continued, "Don't be mistaken." She pulled out a small cloth from her apron, dabbing away at Naruto's shoulder, as she couldn't reach any higher. "It's only leftovers from the harvest and the morning auction. I'm not showing you sympathy or anything pointless like that."

Naruto smirked mischievously, but his eyes showed nothing but gratitude. "Admit it, Granny," he leaned over and planted a small peck on her cheek. "You fell for my charm."

The grandmother froze for a moment, but she smiled mirthfully. "Cheeky brat."

Off to the side, Sasuke watched their exchange ruefully with a gentle smile. Perhaps he even felt a little bit of tender jealousy. Just a little bit.

With a light slap on the blond's back, Grandmother Chiyo smiled crookedly. "Off with you now," she ordered. "Don't keep Sarutobi waiting. Send him my regards."

The blond nodded, bowed slightly, and thanked her. Sasuke mimicked his actions stoicly.

* * *

Back at the Sarutobi's, Naruto paused at the door. "I'm going to go through the back. I don't want him to see me like this. If the brat saw me, he'd probably die laughing," he chuckled poignantly. "You can go in first and keep them busy for me while I shower." He patted the raven's back as he walked away toward the back gate, leaving Sasuke no time to object.

Sasuke stood awkwardly at the entrance, hand held up in midair as he contemplated on whether to knock or just enter the abode. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair before deciding on the latter. The door slid open with a quiet rumble. No one greeted him. A flood of relief washed through him. Bending over, the raven slowly removed one shoe.

"Sasuke," A voice called from the living room. The Uchiha jolted, but quickly regained his composure. "Care for some tea?" The deep voice rang again.

Kicking off his other shoe, he sighed, put on a polite mask, and sauntered into the living room. Sarutobi lifted a wrinkled hand and waved it, beckoning the raven closer. Sasuke nodded as he approached the old man, settling himself comfortably on the floor across the table from him. The grandfather gracefully picked up the teapot and poured the steaming liquid into a small cup. He nudged it toward the raven before taking a long sip from his own cup. Sasuke did the same, wincing when the hot tea scorched his tongue. An odd, yet comfortable silence settled between the two generations. A feeling akin to gratefulness settled in him as he mentally thanked the grandfather for not asking anything.

"So I take it that he got in a bit of trouble? Naruto that is."

And then the feeling was gone. The raven had nearly choked on the tea, but managed to hold back his coughs. "Um," he began, racking his mind for something to say, but not wanting to lie to his host. Luckily, he was saved from further embarrassment as the old man raised a frail hand.

"No need for excuses. I already know." A puzzled look crossed the raven's pale features. "That boy always thought he could keep it a secret, though it's rather hard to miss if it happens so often.

Dark brows furrowed disapprovingly. '_I'm used to it.'_

"What was it this time?" Sarutobi asked, nonchalantly sipping at his tea as if Naruto's problems were as simple as the daily weather.

"This time?" The raven repeated, confused.

"Mm. Eggs, maybe? Or perhaps cabbage?"

"Oh," Sasuke spoke plainly. "No, it was tomatoes."

The old man hmm-ed, once again sipping at his tea leisurely. "Last year, it was fish," Sarutobi spoke contemplatively. "The smell lasted for days," A twinkle of mirth shined in his graying eyes.

Under the table, Sasuke's fists clenched furiously, stark white from the strain. How could the old man be so indifferent about it? The raven's temper slowly rose. "Sir, if you've known all along, why didn't you ever help him?" he spoke evenly through clenched teeth.

All traces of mirth left the old man's expression. "Presumptuous," he scolded, nearly slamming his teacup onto the coffee table. "Chiyo and I are the town's Chief Council members. It is not wise to stir up trouble amongst the villagers for their occasional mischief."

Pale hands slammed on wood. Sasuke's body lifted slightly and his voice rose "Occasional mis–!"

"However!" The grandfather interrupted, "Do not presume that I have not been helping him." He muttered darkly. "I treat that child as if he were my own."

After a brief moment, Sasuke nodded and lowered himself back on the floor, embarrassed from his outburst. His hands fell in has lap, wringing together nervously.

"Besides," Sarutobi continued, "Naruto is a bright child. Optimistic. Do you really believe that he'd allow me to fix his problems?" A wrinkled hand retrieved the teacup and he once again sipped wisely.

The raven pondered, recalling the blond's exchange with Grandmother Chiyo. _'Admit it…You fell for my charm.'_ "No." He finally answered. "He'd want to earn their respect on his own."

"Indeed."

With that marking the end of their conversation, Sasuke pondered to himself. He felt a mix of pride and admiration for the blond. _Dobe._

In the midst of their silence, a rumble of footsteps came from the direction of the stairs. Almost immediately, the blond came stumbling into the living room, his blond locks dripping with water. "Hey gramps!" He shouted before making his way into the kitchen. "Teme! Come help me with dinner," he shouted to the raven from the cooking corner.

Thankful for the blond's arrival, Sasuke nodded to the grandfather, stood, and followed after the Naruto. In the kitchen, he watched as the dobe threw a ruffled orange apron over his body, clumsily knotting the strings behind him in haste. With a soft smile, the raven approached him from behind, wrapping his arms around the tanned boy's waist.

Naruto jolted and struggled in the embrace. "Not here, teme!" he whispered harshly, though his body melted into the raven's arms. "What's with you all of a sudden? Did you miss me that much?" He teased, although slightly concerned.

A drop of water slipped from the ends of blond locks, sliding sensuously down the nape of a perfectly tanned neck. Sasuke unconsciously licked his dry lips. Ever so softly, a pink tongue peeked from between his lips, swiping across the area before breathing hot air. He could feel the blond tremble in his arms, a rumbling wracking through the lithe body.

"T-teme…" A husky voice whispered almost inaudibly. The blond was making his very best effort to keep his voice down. However, this posed incredibly difficult as he could feel the raven's crotch so close to his rear. "En-enough already…" He hissed under his breath.

Satisfied with the brief moment of proximity, Sasuke released his hold. "Dobe," the raven spoke just as breathlessly. Cloudy blue eyes peered into onyx. "You still smell like tomatoes," he teased with a smirk.

A blush creeped onto whiskered cheeks. "Teme," the blond pouted, shoving the raven away from him. "Get to work," he ordered as he pointed his thumb at the brown bag of vegetables.

With an eyeroll, Sasuke complied with a sarcastic "Yes dear wifey," he toyed with the hem of the blond's ruffled orange apron before attending to his duty.

The blond's flushed face turned a deeper shade of scarlet at the raven's comment. Through the remainder of dinner, a faint tinge of pink remained on his cheeks.

* * *

Sasuke stood on the sand, shivering, as he watched a ridiculously hyper blond play barefooted in the icy cold waters of the sea. Over the horizon, a full moon hung idly, its white rays reflected in the receding tide like a stretched road. The raven's skin illuminated magestically in the pale moonlight, though he was not nearly as breathtaking as the playful blond.

"Sasuke," Naruto's voice rang out in the dark. "What was it like?" He kicked up a bit of water, sending stars of iridescent drops into the sky.

The raven was slightly taken aback. "What was what like?"

The blond stilled for a moment, his eyes distant as they bore deep into the abyss of Sasuke's dark orbs. "What was it like when I was gone?"

Sasuke pondered, idly walking along beside the waves. "It was lonely," he admitted. "I changed a lot and became materialistic."

Naruto pictured the raven's posh room – the most recent gadgets adorning the space. "You didn't have any friends?" He trailed beside the raven, feet still buried in the waters.

"My friends hated me," he replied honestly. Normally, a person wouldn't admit to being completely friendless, but Sasuke shrugged it off as he remembered his father's teachings.

"Hmm. Why?" The blond clasped his hands behind his head, treading lazily through the sand and sea.

Sasuke snorted. "As you can see, I kind of have a cold personality. It was a hundred times worse after you left."

"…" A sliver of guilt crept through Naruto's heart, but he listened as the raven continued.

"I was hot-tempered. I got angry at people who were nice to me and punched people easily."

Naruto thought back to the fight between Sasuke and Gaara, wondering if the two had ever settled down. "Why?"

Sasuke paused, digging the toe of his shoe into the sand. "I don't know. Now that I think about it, I guess I just got angry for no reason." Rubbing the back of his neck, the raven smiled softly. "What about you? What was it like living here?"

The same distant look glazed over cerulean orbs, but the blond quickly gave a half-hearted smile, "I…I found out a lot about my mother," _the hard way_, he added to himself with a pained grin.

A frown marred the raven's face as he took in the blond's expression. "Why are you smiling when it hurts?"

In a brief moment of understanding, the two stared at each other for a while, looking, but not quite seeing.

Naruto's smile slowly fell, his expression full of resignation. "You know, when I was younger, I used to do this a lot when I was lonely," he spoke as he laced his fingers in front of him. "I would close my eyes and imagine," cerulean eyes fluttered shut. "I'd imagine that I was holding someone else's hand. Maybe someone who I loved or someone who loved me." The tan hands trembled slightly and the pink lips frowned a little more.

"Naruto,"

Clear blue eyes opened once more. "But I'm okay now," he said with assurance, but not knowing if he was trying to assure Sasuke or himself. "I'm okay now," he repeated.

A smooth hand reached over and separated the laced fingers. "Stop," he commanded.

Naruto looked at him in confusion. "I'm sorry?"

The pale hand then proceded to lace around one of the warm honey-colored ones. "Why hold your own hand when you have a perfectly good one right next to you?" the raven muttered shyly.

Naruto blushed lightly and gripped Sasuke's palm firmly. After a brief moment of silence, he spoke. "You know that I care about you a lot, right?" the blond reminded with a soft smile.

Sasuke blinked in surprise, not quite knowing what to say, though he didn't need to as the blond continued.

Naruto swung their arms wide as he marched forward. "What do you like the most about me?" he asked.

"Hn?" Sasuke queried, a little confused with the sudden topic change.

"My looks? My charm? My greatness?" the blond gave a foxy grin.

Onyx eyes rolled sarcastically. "Dobe," he responded plainly. He stomped forward at a quicker pace, but didn't let go of the blond's hand.

Naruto kept his grin wide with amusement. "When do you like me the most? When I'm cooking? When I'm sleeping? Or maybe all the time? I'm pretty amazing, aren't I?"

Again, the raven scoffed, but he played along this time. "Alright, then what do you like about me?" he asked jokingly.

"Everything," the blond answered without hesitation.

Sasuke stiffened at the answer, not knowing how to reply. In the end, he squeezed the tan hand with affection.

After settling comfortably onto the sand, the two waited for the sun to rise. They still had another two hours before the first sliver of light would peek over the horizon. With a yawn, Naruto folded his arms behind his head and comfortably leaned back.

"Tired?" the raven asked idly.

"Not at all," Naruto replied as he failed at stifling another yawn.

Sasuke snorted. "Go to sleep. The sun doesn't look like it's going to rise anytime soon."

The blond rolled over to his side. "But I'm not…even…tired," he mumbled, his breathing already growing steady.

With a smile, the raven brushed his hand through the golden locks. He lay on his side, tenderly wrapping an arm around the other's waist. Their bodies melted together perfectly in an embrace. "Good night, dobe," he whispered.

* * *

When morning arrived, the two ended up missing the sunrise, much to Naruto's dismay. Not only that, but they nearly missed the last train home as well. After saying a quick goodbye to Grandfather Sarutobi and the still sleeping Konohamaru, the two left the cozy home and made their way toward the station.

"Sorry we missed the sunrise," Naruto mumbled disappointingly as they shoved their luggage in an overhead compartment.

Sasuke plopped down next to the window. "It's fine. I fell asleep too."

With a pout, the blond settled himself beside the raven with a cute 'hmph.'

"You're not going to sit across?" the raven asked, pointing to the empty seat across from them.

Naruto shrugged, and leaned his head against the raven's shoulder. "I realize now that I sleep better when you're close to me." He murmured.

Sasuke smirked, but brushed the soft blond locks affectionately.

As their short vacation came to an end, the two were filled with bittersweet memories. With eyes half-lidded, Naruto thought to himself as he gripped onto a smooth hand. In a few more hours, they'll be back in Konoha – back to their old lives. _'Know your place'_ he recalled the long-haired prodigy warning him. Naruto realized that even after the few days they spent together, everything could go crumbling down once again with just a simple mistake. _Seven years_, the blond thought with his eyes shut, _is a very long gap. When can we be together?_

_You and I may never know how much longer we'll have to wait._

* * *

**I'm so so so (x infinity) sorry that I took so long to update.  
****-bows deeply-  
****So please enjoy the omake after this chapter (lime).  
****Thank you all for being so patient with me!  
****I love you all very much!  
****-thinklove**


	9. OMAKE: Chemistry Safety 101

Title: The World Exists For Just Us Two

Summary: "Love is so...difficult," Naruto often tells himself. Especially since the one he loves is Uchiha Sasuke. "I must not know what love is," Sasuke often tells himself. Especially when coming to terms with his feelings for Uzumaki Naruto. SasuNaru. AU.

Disclaimer: Naruto & Co. © Masashi Kishimoto

Warnings: Rated M - **This chapter contains lime.  
Omake means 'extra', so this scene does not take place in the actual story. -hearts- **

**Omake – Chemistry Safety 101**

* * *

Tan hands shook violently. In his left hand, he held a small beaker, too glassy and fragile for his rough palm. In his other hand was a graduated cylinder – plastic, thankfully.

"Now just pour it in," a smooth voice resounded.

The honey hands trembled even more. Beads of sweat gathered at his temple, fogging up his goggles and moistening his golden locks.

"Naruto, just pour it in already!" The raven hissed impatiently as he gripped his own chemical.

With a frustrated sigh, the blond whined. "I can't! My hands just aren't meant for delicate work like this!"

Dark brows furrowed. "It's just chemistry, dobe! This isn't rocket science!" Sasuke growled lowly.

"It might as well be!" With a pout, Naruto brought his instruments to eye level. Steadily tilting the acid, a trickle of clear fluid ebbed into the graduated cylinder.

Sasuke huffed. "Finally," he muttered under his breath. The raven turned, jotting data down into his lab book.

"How much is it again, teme?" Naruto queried as the liquid reached 25 mL.

"50 mL."

With a sigh of relief, the blond carefully poured the acid, prayng that his clumsiness wouldn't cause a mess. Again. As the fluid rose steadily to the 50 mL mark, Naruto relaxed his grip, easing the tension away.

"'Scuse me," a rushed passerby said as he ran past the blond, tripping over the hem of his lab apron.

"Shit! Oh SHIT!" Naruto shouted.

Sasuke whirled around. "What? What! What did you screw up this time?" Panic rumbled within him.

"Sasuke," the blond whined pitifully as he displayed his now acid-soaked shirt to the raven.

"Shit! Dobe!" He hissed, eyeing the clear liquid that was now dripping onto the floor. "Why aren't you wearing a lab apron!" the raven scolded as he ripped the blond's shirt off.

"I forgot!"

By this point, the whole classroom had stilled in shock. No one had ever spilled acid before – at least not on themselves. Or rather, no one had ever been stupid enough to forget to wear a lab apron. All of them felt relieved that they did not have the blond as a lab parnter. Most of them even pitied the raven.

"Alright, kids. Out of the classroom. You know the drill. Stop, drop, and roll," Kakashi droned as he led the students toward the door. The class groaned, irritated at the blond for taking up their limited lab time, but gradually filed out of the room.

Sasuke shoved the half naked blond toward the corner of the room. "Take it off," he growled, tugging at the boy's jean button.

"Wha– What are you doing?" Naruto exclaimed, pushing the pale hands away from him and wrapping his arms around his bare torso.

"Take it off!" Sasuke repeated, nearly shouting this time. He reached up and pulled down hard on a hanging lever that was connected to the safety shower.

"Shi–! COLD! Why a-are you d-d-doing this t-to me?" Naruto yelped in surprise through chattering teeth as a rush of freezing water rained upon his body, chilling him to the bone.

"The acid, dobe. Take off your clothes or I'll do it for you!"

Naruto complied hastily, fumbling with his button and zipper. Something told him that the raven's threat wasn't a joke. With his jeans tossed in a pile along with his boxers, the blond stood shivering, bare, and completely defenseless against the raven's piercing glare. He turned his back toward the raven. "C-could you maybe…look s-s-somewhere else?" The subarctic water continued to pound onto his body, numbing him to his core.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, but did so anyway, turning in the opposite direction. To be honest, he was quite content ogling at the blond's defenseless state. He looked as harmless as a wet kitten.

"How long d-do I have t-to be under this?" Naruto whined, resisting the urge to curl up in a fetal position.

"At least fifteen minutes," the raven replied, glancing at the classroom clock. Naruto mewled pitifully and Sasuke had to resist the urge to run his own pale hands against the blond's trembling body, warming him with his breath, his mouth, his tongue.

After a couple of unbearable minutes, Naruto whirled around and huffed. "S'uke," he whimpered. "I'm c-cold."

Sasuke's chest thumped and his face grew hot. "And what would you like me to do about that?" The blond didn't reply. An empty silence graced between the two as the sound of falling water remained. The raven turned around abruptly, his eyes hungrily devouring the blond's form. Taking a step forward, he smirked as Naruto instinctivly took a step back. "Well?" he questioned. Another step forward.

"I, uh, it's just…" Naruto mumbled, avoiding onyx eyes that glared at him predatorily. Slowly, he felt his back being pressed against the wall, the water no longer falling on him, but on the fully-clothed raven in front of him.

"Do you want me to warm you up?" Sasuke's voice purred as he pressed both hands against the wall on either side of Naruto's head. "Hmm?"

The blond's breathing hastened, his chest rising and falling. He could feel heat spread along his neck and up to his face. He could tell the raven was waiting for an answer, and he wasn't going to wait long. Ever so slowly, Naruto nodded, his eyes shut in embarrassment.

The raven smirked triumphantly, trailing a warm palm against the blond's cheek, down his neck, and then resting on the left of his chest. Beneath his hand, Naruto's heart raced rapidly. A pale index finger toyed with a stiff nub, rubbing it tenderly and pinching it lightly between his fingers. A low moan escaped plump, moist lips. "Feeling good?" The raven brought his lips close to the blond's ear. A pink tongue slipped out and licked the lobe tantalizingly before bringing it between pale lips, nibbling softly.

"Hnnf…" Blue orbs glazed with lust. "St-stop teasing," he moaned.

"Shh. The class is just outside the door. They'll hear you," the raven warned with a smirk as he continued his ministrations. His hands traveled down further, stroking at the honey-colored abs.

Being unable to let out his voice, Naruto let out a shaky breath before hitching in another one. "Ah–!" His eyes widened in shock as he felt a hand grip his lower extremity. "No! Not here, Sasu…ke," the blond whispered. He hadn't meant for it to go this far.

Sasuke stroked him once. Twice. Then again and again, smirking as the blond hardened in his hands. "Relax. It'll be fine as long as you keep your voice down."

"As if – hn – I could…do that, teme!" Naruto struggled to get his words out. His breaths came out in gasping pants.

"Hn. Just enjoy," leaning down, a pink tongue swirled around a hard nub before biting down. He switched from biting and licking to nibbling and sucking, smirking satisfactorily as the blond's body writhed against his mouth. The tongue trailed downward, circling the dip of the honey-colored navel.

"Oh– Sasu…ke. No more…please," Naruto begged, eyes cloudy from pleasure. Caramel hands gripped onto alabaster shoulders for balance.

The raven ignored his plea, his mouth continuing the journey even lower. Bending to his knees, Sasuke stared longingly at the blond's length. Little golden curls framed its base. _Natural blond, indeed._ He thought to himself with a possessive smirk.

"En-AH-ough!" The blond yelped as he felt a warm mouth enclose over the skin just beside his length. "Ohhh, please," he panted.

Sucking hard, the pale mouth released the skin with an audible 'pop'. Onyx eyes glanced up innocently at lusty cerulean. "'Please' what?" he teased.

Naruto moaned, "Teme, you know…Uuhh please!" He cried out, bucking his hips forward.

Sasuke gave a smug smile. He would've loved to tease the blond further, but considering they only had a limited amount of time, he relieved the blond from his torture. Giving the blond's erection a few more strokes, he leaned forward, ghosting his breath over the head. Naruto groaned and nearly shoved his groin into the raven's face. "Patience," the raven spoke with a chuckle. One pale hand gripped the thick base while the other trailed behind and squeezed a tan bun, receiving a jolt and whimper from the blond. Slowly, a pink tongue traced from the base of the length to the tip. Reaching the slit, he swirled his tongue around, gathering fluid from the tip.

"God, please, Sasuke," the blond moaned. One of his hands entangled in raven locks while the other ran through his own soaked golden hair. His knees felt like rubber as he felt the devilish mouth tease his length relentlessly. "S'uke," he murmured lustily.

Sasuke's lips parted wider, allowing the head of Naruto's cock to enter his mouth, followed by the whole length. Bobbing his head, the raven scraped his teeth against the skin teasingly, earning a mewl. Occasionally, his other hand would give the tan bun a hard squeeze as he engulfed the length even further.

"No…no more. Stop! I'm goi– Nnn!" Naruto panted as his grip on Sasuke's hair tightened. Sneaking a peek, he glanced down and immediately came from the raven's sensual expression. He hitched in a breath and his tense body hunched over, grasping at the raven's head. As he emptied himself into Sasuke's mouth, he let out a shuddering moan followed by a murmured "S'uke…" A few moments after his release, the blond's body relaxed, his legs buckling under him as he slid to the ground.

From the blond's sitting position, Sasuke gave the length a few more sucks and a light lick before pulling away. The raven smirked at Naruto's sated expression – his face flushed scarlet and his eyes half-lidded. He stood up and tugged on the lever once more to turn off the water. "Damn, that was cold," he murmured to himself.

Blinking slowly, Naruto stared dazedly at the raven. "Cold?" he asked drowsily. "Oh, right. Cold." His body felt nothing but sheer pleasure now. Naruto watched hungrily as the raven licked off some of the remnants of his own taste from a pale thumb. _Mm. Tasting. Sucking. Licking…Licking? He licked..._ Sky blue eyes suddenly snapped open. "Oh my god, Sasuke!" He panicked.

Pulling off his now soaked and freezing cold shirt, Sasuke glanced over at the blond. "What?" The shirt was tossed to the side among the other articles of wet clothing.

"You licked me!" He said a little too loudly, but probably not loud enough for his classmates outside the door to hear. But perhaps one silver-haired and perverted professor had heard him.

"Yes I did. And you enjoyed it. What about it?" the raven questioned, running a hand through his hair. The deflated locks almost immediately came back to its usual style.

"You licked me! And the acid! You don't know if it was all off yet or not! We have to get medical attention!" The blond stood up a little too quickly, almost landing face first against the slippery floors. Luckily, Sasuke had grabbed him before he fell.

"Oh, it's not a big deal," he said nonchalantly.

The blond stared disbelievingly at the raven. "It IS a big deal! It was ACID! You know – pH less than 7!" he exlaimed.

"It was just an acid made from fermenting ethanol," Sasuke replied with a shrug.

Naruto blinked slowly. "I have no idea what you just said, but we have to get help!" His hands waved wildly as he spoke.

With a roll of his eyes, Sasuke picked up their clothes, throwing the blond's shirt in his face. "In other words, it was just vinegar."

"…"

A flurry of emotions – anger, hurt, relief, lust – flashed across the blond's face so rapidly that Sasuke became a bit concerned.

"You…"

A dark brow rose. "It's not like I was going to let you handle the strong acids," a sly smirk graced his features.

"YOU BASTARD!" the blond screeched as he chased the raven around the room, naked.

* * *

Outside the door, Kakashi relished in perverse happiness as he marked in his grade book.

_Naruto – minus five points for negligence, minus five points for cursing in class._

He tapped the end of his pen against his masked lips in mirth.

_Naruto & Sasuke – plus ten points for inappropriate use of safety shower._

* * *

**This is my first citrus in like, ages.  
****So I'm sorry if it isn't any good. -hides-  
****Please note that this doesn't happen in the actual story. –hearts–  
****Thank you for being so patient with me!  
****I love you all!  
****-thinklove**

**P.S. ****Thumbs up to the people who have seen the Chemistry Safety: Corrosive Chemicals shower scene.**  
P.P.S. I'm thinking about starting some new stories. (But I'll still be working on this one) Yes/No? 


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